In addition to today’s trailer for The Crow, Lionsgate also released the theatrical poster for the new movie, giving fans a new look at Bill Skarsgård in his role as Eric Draven. The poster feels very inspired by James O’Barr’s original indie comics, although obviously time will tell how much of that influence will carry through to the film itself. The first look fans got at the character earlier this month was controversial, drawing comparisons to Jared Leto’s much-maligned Joker, so it probably has an uphill battle to fight in getting the fans on board.
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The Crow has been one of the most troubled productions in recent memory, trading off directors, stars, and even studios numerous times over the life of its development and production. The movie stars Skarsgård (IT), singer-songwriter FKA twigs (Honeyboy), and Danny Huston (Succession) and is reportedly a full restart of the franchise, meaning that it’s likely adapting (at least loosely) the same set of comics as the first The Crow movie, which was released in 1994.
You can see it below.
That first movie was a phenomenon, with a hit soundtrack and an aesthetic that felt like it was five years ahead of its time. The movie spawned three sequels, The Crow: City of Angels (1996); The Crow: Salvation (2000); and The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005).
The revived The Crow has gone through a number of directors, stars, and even studios in the last decade in its long and troubled road to the big screen. Even after news came out that the movie had wrapped production, it didn’t seem like a real thing that people would be actually able to watch.
“I think the beauty of Bill is that he has a disturbing beauty, and as he transforms through his loss he becomes this thing that even he can’t control,” director Rupert Sanders told Vanity Fair. “It’s that famous line: ‘Whoever fights monsters must be careful that they don’t become one.’ That look was me in the ’90s when we were squat-raving in London, [mixed with some modern influences] like Post Malone and Lil Peep. I hope people who are 19 today look at him and go, ‘That guy is us.’”
The Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders (Foundation, Ghost in the Shell, Snow White and The Huntsman) and written by Zach Baylin (King Richard, upcoming Creed III). Producers are Molly Hassell (Braven, Terminal), Victor Hadida (Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises), John Jencks (Honest Thief, Guns Akimbo), and Edward R. Pressman (American Psycho, The Crow, Wall Street).
