The trailer for Lionsgate’s reimagining ofThe Crowarrived on Thursday, and it did not take long for fans of the original movie to air their opinions on this new film. Following the criticism that the earlier images from the movie received, with many fans unfavorably comparingBill Skarsgård’s character with Jared Leto’s version of the Joker from 2016’sSuicide Squad, the trailer has done little to change those opinions.
The Crow 2024
Bill Skarsgård takes on the iconic role of THE CROW in this modern reimagining of the original graphic novel by James O’Barr. Soulmates Eric (Skarsgård) and Shelly (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 it is clear that there is still a lot of love out there for the original movie, not only due to the tragic nature in whichstarBrandon Leedied during filming, a reimagining of the franchise was almost certain to happen at some point with the film celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. While newcomers toThe Crowmay not have any knowledge of the film’s legacy, there are plenty who still do consider the 1994 movie a film that should not have been touched.
Previously, fans compared the first images of a tattooed, leather jacket-wearing Bill Skarsgård to Jared Leto’s heavily panned take on the Joker. It is certainly not the kind of comparison anyone would have been hoping to see come out of the reimagining, but given the visual similarities, it was almost inevitable.
The Crow Can Still Fly With a New Audience
As always, reboots and remakes are the subject of much debate on social media, with long-term fans of a franchise questioning why there is a need to churn out a new version of a film that still stands up today.The Crowfalls right into this category, with those who remember Brandon Lee’s original movie willing to defend it against any modern usurper that attempts to take its crown.
However, there are some who are willing to give the film the benefit of the doubt until they can see the entire thing.
The new movie comes with a reported budget of $50 million, double that of the original movie, which itself grossed around $94 million on its release. Despite the death of Lee during filming, his version ofThe Crowmanaged to spawn three sequels, as well as a short-lived TV series.
Rob Zombie was originally expected to helm a fifth movie entitledThe Crow: 2037, but this project was cancelled.
Skarsgard himself is a fan of the original movie, and it was the changes made to the story that really drew him into stepping up to take on the challenge. He said in a press release:
“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. 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. I felt a responsibility to Eric’s story and endeavored to stay true to the spirit of the source material; I can’t wait for the world to see the film, and hope it resonates with audiences as strongly as it did with those of us involved.”
