After being embroiled in tragedy and delays for decades, The Crow, starring Bill Skarsgård, is finally ready to hit the big screens this year. Helmed by Rupert Sanders, it took over 20 years to get the reboot rolling, but the trailer is out, and Skarsgård looks spectacular.
Based on the 1989 comic book by James O’Barr, the film tells a tale of supernatural intrigue and gore. The popularity of the franchise grew exponentially in the 1990s, and much of it could be attributed to Brandon Lee in the original cult hit.
Skarsgård is not new to this genre, but he keeps impressing with his bold choices when it comes to choosing scripts. The Crow is no different, and the actor has managed to leave jaws rolling on the floor.
Bill Skarsgård’s The Crow has not had an easy road to production
The film tells the story of Eric Draven, who is murdered alongside his girlfriend, Shelly. Eric miraculously comes back to life, now bestowed with supernatural powers, and goes down a path of revenge.
The trailer shows Eric immune to wounds or gunshots as he hunts down Shelly’s killers, picking them one by one. In one particularly gruesome sequence, Draven takes down an attacker by shooting himself through his chest and then kills him with the sword embedded in his own body.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, the director, Rupert Sanders, revealed that he wanted to tell a story that dealt with love and loss at its heart. “What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief and the ethereal veil between life and death and reaching through that,” he said.
Written by Zach Baylin and Will Schneider, the reboot will see Bill Skarsgård as the protagonist, Eric Draven, as FKA Twigs plays his girlfriend Shelly. Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger will also appear in key roles.
The original film starred Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, as the protagonist. Unfortunately, Lee died due to a tragic accident on set, when a prop gun went off.
Since then, several filmmakers had tried to get the production flying but encountered hurdles every step of the way. Even Aquaman star Jason Momoa was attached to the film before he dropped it in 2018.
The trailer has been met with equal parts excitement and skepticism
The reboot of The Crow has big shoes to fill, particularly for Skarsgård. Brandon Lee left an indelible mark with his performance, and the sequels fell flat.
However, the reboot looks promising, and fans have since flocked to social media to share their opinions. The film’s casting had initially angered fans, but Skarsgård may have just changed their opinion. Many were impressed with the actor, but loyalists of the original might still be a little skeptical.
I was skeptical at first but nahh im in 🔥🔥🔥 let’s goooo
— MR BEAR 🐻🧸🐻❄️ (@teddy_blackmon) March 14, 2024
Listen it’s not horrible
— The Wrestle Plug (@wrestleplug_) March 14, 2024
Thought I was gonna really hate it because I love the orginal so much but I’m not mad at the trailer pic.twitter.com/r20SIuavAB
— Freddy (@therealFreddy85) March 14, 2024
I don't know how I feel about this one. I liked how with the Brandon Lee movie, we got a sense of mystery from the character that he truly felt like a mythical being. Despite being shot at constantly, this version still feels too vulnerable. And this remake seems more like a…
— ReelTalker (@TalkerReel92) March 14, 2024
I don’t know but I want to like it.
— Alex from Earth 616 🤼♀️ 🤼♀️ 🤼♀️ (@LEXthePEX) March 14, 2024
The film was in limbo for years before Lionsgate bought the rights to the project. The Crow is set to hit theaters on June 7th this year.
