Created by James O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at the hands of a drunk driver, The Crow #1 was released in 1989 and remains a beloved classic. A big screen adaptation starring the late Brandon Lee followed in 1994 and has since earned a legion of fans.
Some ill-fated sequels followed, but 2024 will see the release of a remake from Ghost in the Shell director Rupert Sanders. IT and John Wick: Chapter 4 star Bill Skarsgård takes on the role of Eric Draven, and this new trailer showcases his brutal quest for revenge.
When the first stills were released from the movie, they drew a largely mixed response (Alex Proyas, who helmed The Crow three decades ago as quick to take aim at them). However, this trailer is bloody, unrelenting, and suitably violent; honestly, Sanders' take on Draven looks way more fun than expected.
We also have a new poster, but neither that nor the trailer sugges Skarsgård's anti-hero will don the character's iconic white face paint. Still, despite unflattering comparisons to Jared Leto's Joker, this iteration looks suitably imposing.
"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," the actor said in a statement released today. "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," Skarsgård continues. "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."
You can check out the first trailer and poster for The Crow below (via FearHQ.com).
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 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 Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders from a script by Zach Baylin and Will Schneider. Bill Skarsgård plays Eric Draven alongside FKA Twigs as Shelly Webster, his ill-fated love. The supporting cast includes Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, and Sami Bouajila.
The Crow is set to arrive in theaters on June 7.