Candyman, a remake of the same-named horror film from 1992, set box office history this weekend when the picture debuted at No. 1 with $22.3 million in its opening. The horror picture marks a watershed moment for both the filmmaker, Nia DaCosta, and the industry; as the first black female director to top the box office chart! The narrative follows Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, an artist who comes into the gentrified Cabrini-Green area with his fiancée and is co-written by DaCosta, Oscar winner Jordan Peele, and Win Rosenfeld.

According to sources, the film exceeded projections, with ticket sales expected to reach $15 million. Candyman's record-breaking opening weekend also makes it the second-highest opening weekend gross for a film directed by a black woman. With her film A Wrinkle in Time, which made $33 million in its first weekend, Ava DuVernay maintains the top place. It was also the first picture directed by a black woman to gross more than $100 million in theaters.

With The Marvels, the sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, the Brooklyn native will make history once more as the first black woman and the youngest person to helm a Marvel picture. The superhero film is presently under development and is set to premiere in 2022.