Summary
- Producer Molly Hassell defends the new
The Crow
adaptation, emphasizing its different direction and tackling of age-old themes of love and loss. - Director Alex Proyas, who made the 1994 original, has criticized the new
Crow
movie, citing respect for the late Brandon Lee. -
The Crow
is billed as a new adaptation of the original comic, not a remake of the previous movie.
The Crow producer Molly Hassell defends the upcoming adaptation from criticisms made by the original 1994 movie’s director, Alex Proyas. Starring Brandon Lee as the vengeful resurrected rock star Eric Draven, the original movie brought James O’Barr’s 1989 comic book series to life to financial and critical success, even in the face of on-set tragedy. After 16 years of false starts, cast and crew switch-ups, and rewrites, a new reimagining of the original Crow comic revisits the tragic tale, as Skarsgård’s Eric is offered supernatural gifts to kill his and his fiancée’s killers.
Ahead of The Crow‘s release, Hassell opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about criticisms made by Proyas in March. Hassell defended the work put into the film by the cast and crew as something to be proud of, emphasizing her surprise at Proyas’ critiques. Check out Hassell’s defense below:
It should make people proud. I’m surprised it hasn’t made the original filmmakers more proud, because it’s a step in a different direction, but it’s a necessary step to deal with the age-old themes of love and loss.
What Did Alex Proyas Say About The Crow Remake?
Proyas Isn’t The Only Creative To Speak Out
While Proyas has been firm in his disagreement over many iterations of another Crow movie, he has never approached it from a position of ill intent. With his comments in March 2024, he stated he takes no joy in critiquing the production and knows that the cast and crew had good intentions, but that a new movie shouldn’t be made out of respect for Lee, who lost his life in an on-set firearms incident during filming. Proyas isn’t the only original movie creative to address the 2024 Crow.
Rochelle Davis, who portrayed Sarah in the original movie, was quick to critique the appearance of Skarsgård’s Eric, simply stating “Yuck” and that the actor should have been more faithful to the character’s original appearance out of respect for Lee’s portrayal. Furthermore, Ernie Hudson also made his opposition known, stating that while he was fine with seeing other characters take on the mantle as past The Crow sequels have explored, he personally felt retelling Eric’s story wouldn’t honor Lee’s memory. As such, few involved in the original have been pleased with the remake.
Lionsgate, the studio behind the 2024
The Crow
,
has stated that Skarsgård’s character is not Eric Draven, but is simply referred to as “Eric,” and that the movie itself is not a remake of the 1994 film, but instead a new adaptation of the comic.
Though Hassell and the rest of The Crow‘s cast and crew may have had the best intentions, their reasoning is sure to be scrutinized by the original crew and fans alike. Going back to the original source material was not necessary to make another iteration of The Crow, as it is a mantle passed along to wronged souls, meaning they weren’t limited to revisiting Lee’s tale. As such, the themes Hassell hoped to explore could be done while respecting the wishes of the original movie’s creatives.
Source: THR
The Crow (2024)
The Crow (2024) is a dark and gritty reimagining of the original graphic novel. It follows Eric, who is resurrected from the dead to avenge his and his soulmate’s brutal murders. Armed with supernatural abilities, Eric seeks justice against the killers responsible, navigating through a corrupt city that is as much a character as he is. This adaptation introduces new elements to captivate the modern audience.
- Director
- Rupert Sanders
- Release Date
- August 23, 2024
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate
- Writers
- James O’Barr , Zach Baylin
- Cast
- Bill Skarsgard , FKA Twigs , Danny Huston , Josette Simon , Laura Birn , Sami Bouajila , Jordan Bolger , Karel Dobrý
- Runtime
- 111 Minutes
- Budget
- $50 Million
