The first trailer for Lionsgate and director Rupert Sanders' new take on The Crow was released earlier this week, and while the action packed and surprisingly gory footage went over well enough with some, it's probably accurate to say that the majority of fans weren't overly impressed (to say the least).
To be fair, any remake or reinterpretation of The Crow was always going to be heavily scrutinized by the loyal fans of Alex Proyas' beloved '90s adaptation starring the late Brandon Lee, and those first promo images featuring Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven had already come in for a lot of backlash.
So, was the trailer really that bad?
Opinions will obviously vary, but even leaving aside the decision to basically ignore the moody, Gothic tone of the original (that song choice is just flat out bizarre), this teaser gives off generic supernatural action movie vibes, and fans simply expected more.
You may feel the reaction has been a bit harsh, but the people have spoken, and the trailer received a massive 53,000 dislikes (compared to 42,000 likes) on YouTube after being online for just over 24 hours.
Have another look at the trailer below.
Proyas was never on board with a direct remake, which he made very clear during an interview shortly after the project was announced.
"The Crow would not be a movie worth 'remaking' if it wasn’t for Brandon Lee," said the filmmaker. "If it wasn’t for Brandon you may never have even heard of this poignant little underground comic. It is Brandon’s movie."
"I believe it is a special case where Hollywood should just let it remain a testament to a man’s immense talent and ultimate sacrifice - and not have others re-write that story or add to it. I know sequels were made, and TV shows, and what have you, but the notion of 'rebooting' this story, and the original character - a character Brandon gave life to at too high a cost – seems wrong to me."
The synopsis reads: "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."
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 will hit theaters on June 7, 2024.