Bill Skarsgård is back with a new character to haunt every fan’s dreams. In Rupert Sanders’ remake of The Crow, the actor plays Eric Draven who was murdered alongside his girlfriend Shelly (portrayed by FKA Twigs). At the point between life and death, he makes it back to avenge their fates.
The original 1994 film starring Brandon Lee was considered a sleeper hit and a cult-classic favorite. It also came with a depressing story as the actor unfortunately passed away after getting accidentally shot on the set with a prop gun.
The Crow Director Talks About Bill Skarsgård’s New Horror-Action Movie
Director Rupert Sanders spoke with Vanity Fair and shared what compelled him to do a remake of the famed franchise. The dark themes of the film were indeed its selling point.
“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.”
When asked about lead star Bill Skarsgård’s epic transformation, he admitted getting inspiration from Post Malone and Lil Peep for the edgy look. The epic trailer exhibited this, accompanied with the ominous line, “You were given the power of a God.”
He also talked about the tragedy that took place in the original movie with Brandon Lee. The actor was only 28 when he was shot by an improperly loaded prop gun. Sanders assured fans that the team did their best to be cautious when handling weapons.
“Obviously, it was a terrible tragedy, and it’s definitely something that we’ve always had in mind through the making of the film.”
Finally, he acknowledged the legacy of Lee as the face of The Crow, but he also believes that Skarsgård is a worthy successor for the role.
“Brandon was an original voice and I think he will always be synonymous with ‘The Crow,’ and I hope he’s proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve brought the story back again. His soul is very much alive in this film. There’s a real fragility and beauty to his version of the Crow, and I think Bill feels like he is a successor to that.”
The original movie spawned three more sequels released in 1996, 2000 and 2005.
Brandon Lee’s Unsettling 1993 Interview Before He Died
Brandon Lee gave an interview to EW a week and a half before he died in March 1993. In the final question, the actor gave a chilling answer about his own destiny.
“Oh, now we’re gonna talk about me, huh? Well, I’m freezing to death; it’s cold in here! Was I destined to play this role? I don’t know if I was destined to play this role, but I feel very fortunate to be doing so.”
Whether this is a premonition or just a plain coincidence, the actor’s tragic death had cast a gloom over the movie and provoked an uproar among fans. The film was eventually finished and distributed by Miramax in 1994.
The Crow arrives in theaters on June 7, 2024.
