1994's THE CROW Director Alex Proyas Takes Delight In The Remake's Bad Weekend At The Box Office

1994's THE CROW Director Alex Proyas Takes Delight In The Remake's Bad Weekend At The Box Office

The Crow remake has flopped at the box office this weekend, and filmmaker Alex Proyas seems to be having great fun with its failings. You can find out what he's had to say about the movie right here...

By JoshWilding - Aug 26, 2024 04:08 AM EST
Filed Under: The Crow

Rupert Sanders' much-maligned remake of The Crow has had a terrible weekend at the box office, opening at #8 and grossing a mere $4.6 million, even less than the Coraline re-release. 

It's become apparent that people didn't want a new take on the 1994 cult classic, something the director of that movie - Alex Proyas - has been saying for a while now. In a series of Facebook posts, the filmmaker had fun with The Crow's disappointing performance (it's now slipped to 19% on Rotten Tomatoes).

"Wow. Box office is a bloodbath," he commented before adding, "I thought the remake was a cynical cash-grab. Not much cash to grab it seems." 

As well as sharing screenshots of negative reviews, Proyas also posted a meme that stated, "Marked Safe From Seeing 'CROW' 2024 Today." While these comments are relatively tongue-in-cheek, they somewhat contradict what he said when the first trailer for The Crow remake was released in March (and met with an overwhelmingly negative response).

"I really don't get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmaker's work," Proyas said at the time. "And I'm certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film. 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," he continued. "The sheer amount of dislikes on The Crow remake's trailer might be a bad sign for how the movie will perform."

Well, he wasn't wrong about that last part. 

Rochelle Davis, who played Sarah in the 1994 movie, commented on one of Proyas' recent Facebook posts and said the bad reviews were "well deserved." Shelly actor Sofia Shinas has also been asked about the remake and recently said she "totally gets why it might flop."

Shinas added, "People love Brandon in the original film. [It's] hard to imagine how his family and fiancée must be feeling knowing their loved one gave his life, unwilling to make this film and yet, once again, years later someone else is trying to eclipse that role."

The Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders from a script by Zach Baylin and Will Schneider. Producers include Edward R. Pressman, Samuel Hadida, Victor Hadida, John Jencks, and Molly Hassell.

Bill Skarsgård plays Eric alongside FKA Twigs as Shelly, his ill-fated love. The supporting cast includes Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, and Sami Bouajila.

The Crow is now playing in theaters. 

THE CROW Flops During Second Weekend In Theaters...And It's Fared No Better Overseas
Related:

THE CROW Flops During Second Weekend In Theaters...And It's Fared No Better Overseas

Why Did THE CROW Flop? New Report Examines Bad Buzz And Possible Issues Behind The Scenes
Recommended For You:

Why Did THE CROW Flop? New Report Examines Bad Buzz And Possible Issues Behind The Scenes

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/26/2024, 4:38 AM
User Comment Image
ManofSteel23
ManofSteel23 - 8/26/2024, 4:40 AM
I’ve never seen The Crow, and I had no intentions of watching this one, I have no idea what it’s about or the draw for people like me who have never seen any of them
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 8/26/2024, 4:51 AM
@ManofSteel23 - it's some super bad pretentious goth garbage that is only remembered because of the Brandon Lee tragedy. Some like it tho, too each their own
MadThanos
MadThanos - 8/26/2024, 5:28 AM
@ProfessorWhy - It's an excellent product from its era that doesn't hold up very well today.
Spawnnn
Spawnnn - 8/26/2024, 5:48 AM
@MadThanos - It still is. Got the 4K disc a few weeks ago. Its still a gorgeous movie with an incredible atmosphere. Better than 95% of everything the genre putting out today.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 8/26/2024, 6:09 AM
@ProfessorWhy - Would you say the same about Heath Ledger's Joker?
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 8/26/2024, 6:27 AM
@ObserverIO - no
CapA
CapA - 8/26/2024, 6:29 AM
@ProfessorWhy - Super bad and pretentious ? Please, explain.
SethBullock
SethBullock - 8/26/2024, 6:12 AM
The new Crow movie has bombed because it's bad, not because the original is such a classic great movie that can't ever be remade, or that no one can ever make a new The Crow good movie.

Tim Burton's Batman movie was a huge success and many years later we got the Nolan Batman movies that were very successful too, same thing could have been done with The Crow or with any other good character, you just need to make a good movie.

Idk who thought this new version could be successful, I've not watched the movie yet, but just from the trailers and from the way this new Crow looks anyone with a brain could see this movie was going to bomb.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 8/26/2024, 8:17 AM
@SethBullock - With remakes of beloved classics, you don't just need to make a good movie, you have to make a movie as goods as or better than the beloved original.

The same goes for sequels and prequels of beloved films. Maybe this is unfair but it's true.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 8/26/2024, 8:19 AM
Case in point: The Amazing Spider-Man.

TASM is not a bad movie. I would say that it's a good movie. But it's not as good as Raimi's classic and it's certainly not better. If it were better, then I don't think anyone would have a problem with it.
SethBullock
SethBullock - 8/26/2024, 9:54 AM
@ObserverIO - But I'm not talking necessarily about remakes, Batman Begins was not a remake of the first Burton's Batman movie, both were movies about a guy called Bruce Wayne that fights crime as a superhero called Batman, but they were very different movies and both were good.

Same thing could have been done with The Crow, a good movie with Eric Draven becoming The Crow could have been made without necessarily being a remake of the first movie, but a different adaptation of the same comics, which I guess that it's what this new movie tried to be, but the problem is that it seems to be a really bad adaptation, not that it shouldn't have been made because someone else already made a good adaptation 30 years ago.
Beer85
Beer85 - 8/26/2024, 6:32 AM
General issue is that Hollywood makes a lot of bad movies. They have always made bad films, but there was some good with the bad. Some people say its "everything is woke" other's say its superhero fatigue or endles remakes. Sure all of those things are a part of it, but biggest issue is that there are incompetent writers,directors and producers making really expenssive movies the way of bad fast food. It's like a bic mac somebody has coughed on.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/26/2024, 7:26 AM
Sorry but it has to be said.
The only reason ONLY reason why The Crow is remembered is because Brandon Lee died while filming. Bruce Lee's son.
The final product wasn't even what the director had in mind but managed to give the studio a "final product" with what already filmed.

The movie wasn't that memorable.
FASELI
FASELI - 8/26/2024, 7:42 AM
@WEAPONXOXOXO - Ive only seen it twice in the 90s and I can quote lines of dialogue directly. And it has an amazing soundtrack and goth noir aesthetic.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/26/2024, 8:29 AM
@FASELI - The soundtrack is amazing, the movie is not. It's remembered for the wrong reason. My opinion obliviously.
thedrudo
thedrudo - 8/26/2024, 7:47 AM
Glad I’m not alone when I say my hot take has always been that the movie is so remembered because of Lee’s death, not necessarily that the movie is good.

It’s entertaining and a product of its time but some of the praise is unwarranted IMO.

I’m weirdly kind of stoked to see the new one.
newhire13
newhire13 - 8/26/2024, 8:05 AM
He’s doing too much. Let’s not act like an asshole
SPQR
SPQR - 8/26/2024, 8:17 AM
It had the chance to stand on its own. There are good adaptations and there are bad ones. This will be largely forgotten like the other sequels.

They should have adapted “The Crow Dead Time”, instead. The brand needs something fresh in order to make it appeal again to mass audiences.
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 8/26/2024, 8:32 AM
I still need to watch this. So no comment till I do.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/26/2024, 8:38 AM
@THEKENDOMAN - we're all holding our breath
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 8/26/2024, 10:57 AM
@bobevanz - I hope we won't choke 🤣
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/26/2024, 8:43 AM
You guys are all talking about why the film bombed when I can't get past this:

"I really don't get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmaker's work,"

Alex Proyas comes across incredibly pretentious and immature with his after movie-release comments What he said before the film came out is the right thing, tho he said that then just in case this remake might succeed. Of course, now he's blazingly showing his true, cowardly self since his real inner thoughts can't be argued now.

Why he's so intimidated by this film is weird. He knew it would fail and all us knew it too. Ok. This film won't have any impact on anything going forward, unlike the 1st crow, and will be forgotten. Dude, you win. No need to kick a disabled kid when he's down.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 8/26/2024, 8:45 AM
I watched the original the other day and i personally enjoy it. Its by No means a Masterpiece, but its also not awful like some people say. Yes, it's a cult classic, and yes alot of people love it cuz of the poor tragedy of Lee's passing, but, i think in general its just a good movie
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 8/26/2024, 8:58 AM
DAMN 😅
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 8/26/2024, 9:49 AM
Your title says he "takes delight" but what he actually says in your article is "I really don't get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmaker's work".
Eltorodiablo
Eltorodiablo - 8/26/2024, 10:19 AM
@HashTagSwagg - that's what he said when the trailer was released. The beginning of this article contains his remarks reacting to the box office performance.
r1g0r
r1g0r - 8/26/2024, 10:46 AM
@HashTagSwagg -

"Wow. Box office is a bloodbath," he commented before adding, "I thought the remake was a cynical cash-grab. Not much cash to grab it seems."
newhire13
newhire13 - 8/26/2024, 10:02 AM
It’s weird to me that he’s acting like he created The Crow or something
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/26/2024, 10:06 AM
"I really don't get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmaker's work," Proyas said at the time. "And I'm certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film. So it pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan's response speaks volumes."

I'm confused?
Where's the delight?

Josh is sniffing glue again?
Eltorodiablo
Eltorodiablo - 8/26/2024, 10:19 AM
@WEAPONXOXOXO - That quote is from when the trailer originally premiered. The "delight" is the posts reacting to its box office performance this weekend. Pains me to say this, but Josh... isn't wrong this time.
r1g0r
r1g0r - 8/26/2024, 10:47 AM
@WEAPONXOXOXO -

"Wow. Box office is a bloodbath," he commented before adding, "I thought the remake was a cynical cash-grab. Not much cash to grab it seems."
Deckacards
Deckacards - 8/26/2024, 10:53 AM
This, to me, is one of those "everybody is wrong" situations. Yes, they should have been smart enough to select a different character than Eric Draven for the next Crow movie...especially if they wanted to make such a different story...but it's also pretty awful to crap all over a film and effort that so many people poured into.
Patient2670
Patient2670 - 8/26/2024, 1:05 PM
The original was a good movie. The best that either Brandon Lee or Alex Proyas ever made. I have nothing but love for it. That said, many people here on this thread are absolutely correct. It would have gone largely unnoticed, had such a tragedy not occurred (Just like all his other movies). Maybe the new movie really is as bad as people are saying, I don't know, I haven't seen it. I get that his personal experience with the property is very strong, and maybe that goes some distance as to why Proyas is so prescious about it. But his remarks are just pitiful. He's setting himself up for failure. If you mock another filmmaker's work, whether successful or failure, your next movie had better be amazing or people will remind you of your words. What was his last studio film? Gods of Egypt? Good or bad, it seems like this movie swung for the fences. They can't all end up being Fury Road.
dragon316
dragon316 - 8/26/2024, 1:21 PM
I will never ask James o Barr what thought about remake trailer in person but will love read about what he thinks this version? Not hung more intersting read about creators and co creators about comic movie remakes what there thoughts on it todd McFarland gave his option on venom movie
dracula
dracula - 8/26/2024, 4:00 PM
Really there was no reason to use Eric and Shelly

Ive read a break down of the plot

It has zero connection to the original story outside of the names and the idea of the crow

Every Crow seems to have 1 story arc

There are female crows

You can do any crow you want that fits your story or make your own crow

Why use characters from a single story if you arent going to adapt that story

In fact outside of eric and shelly no characters feom the comic are in it
mynameisn0body
mynameisn0body - 8/27/2024, 2:06 AM
he’s a hater.
relentless1
relentless1 - 8/27/2024, 2:24 AM
this movie was trash, they couldn't even give the guy the full ass face paint lol the love tory is so undercooked its laughable, why not just have them as an inseparable couple as the film opens THEN show us their tight bond from there? They wasted so much green time getting them together in such a unbelievably rushed manner that its laughable when this guy give up his should for here's... or whatever it is that he does; the side characters are so under developed that I don't even know who or what the afterlife crow guy is supposed to be?? they never mention it?? The villain has a interesting reason for doing what he doe but they don't delve into it in the slightest nor do they explain why he likes piano players so much lol.... so little plot depth and such bad story choices, this movies ONLY redeeming quality is that skarsgaard is pretty decent plying the role but they [frick] the character up so much that its hidden underneath poor choices... why did he watch his horse die at the Strat?? why didn't that come back into the plot in and meaningful way?! what was the point of this movie lol

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder