Nia DaCosta is a filmmaker from New York City. Her filmography includes Little Woods, her first feature-length film. The crime thriller starring Tessa Thompson is a film that she not only directed but wrote. She also directed the highly anticipated remake of Candyman, which was produced and written by Jordan Peele. She talked about her appreciation of the horror/thriller genre saying, “Horror is really in your psyche, it gets deeper into your brain. I think the horror of a ghost or a serial killer can be as tangible for people who don’t understand Black trauma, Black horror, Black pain—it can be as tangible for them. And hopefully when they leave the theater, it’s sitting with them.” It’s exciting to see more and more black artists getting their opportunity to flex their horror story-telling skills on the big screen. Though Candyman’s release was set for June the pandemic has pushed the release date a few times and it will not come out until 2021.
(Photo courtesy of Jai’s IG @jai.lennard)
“Do the work.
Nia DaCosta
And the work has to be enough in a certain respect just because there is no guarantee that things are going to work out [like your] wildest dreams…even if they do work out, it never goes exactly the way you think it will.”
Director/Writer
(Advice to Filmmakers)
That news didn’t stop DaCosta for being tapped as the first Black woman to direct a Marvel movie. She is set to direct the sequel to Captain Marvel, titled Captain Marvel 2. This is a major accomplishment for DaCosta and it’s clear that Marvel understands the power of black voices in the fantasy realm after their experience with Black Panther.
