The original 1994 adaptation of The Crow still has a huge, loyal following, so there was already a certain amount of scepticism surrounding Lionsgate's decision to develop a reboot. When the first trailer was released, that apprehension turned to outright disgust for a lot of fans.
Are people being a little quick to judge based off a single teaser? Perhaps, but for many, Brandon Lee will always be the only Eric Draven, and that's all there is to it.
Total Film interviewed Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson, who played heroic cop Sergeant Daryl Albrecht in The Crow, for the Goth classic's 30th anniversary, and the actor admitted that he's only recently been able to revisit the film due to the tragic accident that ended Lee's life during filming.
"Well, it's very hard for me. I love The Crow and I'm so thankful to have been a part of it – and I say that now after all these years. Up until now it's been very, very difficult."
Hudson was then asked about the new movie, and, like many others, he wondered why they didn't simply go with a different character.
"For me Brandon was The Crow. I love James O'Barr [creator of the character] he’s a good friend, and I’m happy to see that franchise move forward, but Eric Draven – that's Brandon, and I think they are trying to base it on that character."
"But it’s The Crow and it can be other stories," he went on. "Brandon, he was Eric, and that version is his. So it’s hard for me to think of anyone else playing that role – just thinking about it even, it’s a done deal. But I’m happy for them, this is an industry, there’s a fan-base, but make it something else. No one approached me or had a discussion with me about the new one, and I wish them well. But I have no desire to check that out, it’s too much emotion to add to it."
The synopsis reads: "Soulmates Eric Draven (Bill 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."
The movie will also star Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger in undisclosed roles. Zach Baylin and Will Schneider penned the script.
The new take on The Crow was recently pushed back from June 7 to August 23, 2024.