Nia DaCosta has made history once again.
With her first major feature film, “Candyman” becoming a sweet success at the box office with a $22.4 million opening, the filmmaker has become the first African American female director to debut at No. 1.
The Harlem-bred Brooklyn, New York, native was previously tapped to direct the upcoming “Captain Marvel” sequel, making her the first Black woman to helm a feature film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Currently in production, “The Marvels,” will star Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, and is currently scheduled to be released Nov. 11, 2022.
With “Candyman’s” big box office splash, DaCosta is among the top five openings for movies at the domestic box office helmed by Black women directors, which also includes Tina Gordon’s “Little” ($15.4M), Stella Meghie’s “The Photograph” ($12.1M) and Melina Matsoukas’ “Queen & Slim” ($11.89M).
Considering the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, coupled with the arrival of Hurricane Ida in the Gulf Coast, the Jordan Peele-produced project performed above expectations for a horror flick and enjoyed the third-best opening numbers for a final weekend in August.
Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris and Colman Domingo, the R-rated thriller is considered the spiritual successor of the classic 1992 film of the same name.
The new “Candyman” scored 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and is holding a B CinemaScore.
With an additional $5.23 million from international regions, the two-hour film made back its entire $25 million production budget in its debut weekend.
