The first looks at the upcoming The Crow understandably drew disappointing reactions from fans, as they are typically apprehensive about any new take on an iconic storyline, with director of the original adaptation Alex Proyas also getting in on expressing his frustrations with this new project on social media. While his first reactions were a bit more snarky, Proyas shared a bit more insight into why he’s having such a negative reaction to the entire idea of a new The Crow, which largely centers on how the completion of the original film was meant to serve as a tribute to star Brandon Lee, who died while filming due to an on-set accident. The Crow is set to hit theaters on June 7th.
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“I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmaker’s work. And I’m certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film,” Proyas shared on his Facebook page while sharing an article about the film’s first trailer getting a “staggering” amount of dislikes on YouTube. “So it pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan’s response speaks volumes. The Crow is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy.That’s how it should remain.”
The new film stars Bill Skarsgård, FKA Twigs, and Danny Huston and is based on the James O’Barr comic of the same name, which was also the source material for the 1994 movie. This new The Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders.
The Crow is described, “Soulmates Eric Draven (Skarsgård) and Shelly Webster (FKA twigs) are brutally murdered when the demons of her dark past catch up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.”
While many audiences would consider the original movie to be the seminal adaptation of the material, that debut film earned three sequels, each of which saw an entirely new character revived by the spirit of the Crow. Skarsgård previously shared in a statement the reason this particular take on the material excited him.
“I was a huge fan of the original film growing up as a kid and was so honored to take on the role of Eric Draven,” Skarsgård revealed when the film’s first trailer was released. “But really what drew me to it was what Rupert Sanders wanted to do with it. He wanted to completely reimagine the story and the character and tailor it towards a modern audience. It’s a character that I know many revere and have a strong connection to — he is unlike any I’ve ever taken on before. Working with the remarkably talented FKA Twigs was magical.”
The Crow will land in theaters on June 7th.
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