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

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

The Crow arrived in theaters last Thursday and has since flopped both critically and commercially. Now, we have details on where it all went wrong for the remake, including possible creative issues...

By JoshWilding - Aug 27, 2024 09:08 AM EST
Filed Under: The Crow
Source: Deadline

A remake of The Crow has been talked about for at least a decade and a half, and it finally flew into theaters this weekend. However, it earned only $4.6 million in North America, debuting at #8...on a budget of at least $50 million.

Deadline has taken a closer look at where it all went wrong for the film, revealing that moviegoers who went to Thursday previews may have contributed to that dismal opening weekend thanks to negative word of mouth. That's evident from the remake's 1* rating on Comscore/Screen Engine's PostTrak (and a B- CinemaScore).

Lionsgate limited the damage by acquiring the North American theatrical rights to The Crow for only $10 million with an additional $15 million on marketing. The studio will lose money but not as much as on Borderlands (that loss should reach around $30 million when all is said and done).

As the trade puts it, "The Crow franchise's legacy always stood in the shadow of its late star, Lee, who died on the set in 1993 after shot with a prop gun. Similar to his father Bruce Lee, who died suddenly in 1973 in 1973 at 32, Brandon Lee promptly developed cult-icon status following his death, which fueled great interest in the movie."

"Adding to that was the pic’s milieu itself, a great nod to the goth and industrial alternative sensibilities of the 1990s prevalent in music at the time." While the 1994 movie made only $50.7 million at the domestic box office two decades ago, when that's adjusted for inflation and today's ticket prices, it becomes $152.9 million (not bad when The Crow only cost $23 million). 

This report also points to the poor performance of sequels to The Crow as an indication that a remake was a bad idea and reminds us of this movie's difficult journey to the screen. Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling, Jack Huston, Luke Evans, Alexander Skarsgård, and Jason Momoa have all been attached at various points, with the latter leaving alongside filmmaker Corin Hardy before Rupert Sanders stepped in. 

"The latest version with Sanders directing came together during the first half of 2022, with production commencing in July that year in Prague," the trade adds. "But complications ensued - chiefly, I’m told, the filmmaker and producers did not see eye-to-eye."

The negative response to the teaser trailer and original The Crow director Alex Proyas' negative comments also lessened interest, contributing to the movie having an online reach across social media roughly 45% below the action-horror norm. 

Social media analytics group RelishMix explains, "Negative convo on The Crow touches ordinary comparative notes with 'disappointment' toward the new adaptation and 'disrespect' toward the original."

"Fans express strong attachments to Brandon Lee’s iconic portrayal and are disappointed by the casting choices and perceived tonal shifts in the remake: 'The original had a certain feeling, a certain atmosphere, I just don’t think this is hitting in the same way as the old one did.'"

One insider connected to The Crow has defended its inability to connect with audiences by saying, "Opera is hard. Opera is not about logic, it’s about emotion."

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

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TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 8/27/2024, 9:06 AM
Why? Because it sucked. Super simple.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/27/2024, 9:08 AM
DocSpock
DocSpock - 8/27/2024, 9:09 AM

They look for all kinds of reasons.

If it's bad, it will get bad reviews, bad word of mouth, and bad box office.

Duh.

thedrudo
thedrudo - 8/27/2024, 11:59 AM
@DocSpock - That makes too much sense… so they won’t figure it out.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 8/27/2024, 12:50 PM
@thedrudo -

Sadly true.
Vigor
Vigor - 8/27/2024, 9:12 AM
Ok I'll relent.
I'll take a gummy and finally watch the original crow to see what the hype is about
SATW42
SATW42 - 8/27/2024, 9:15 AM
@Vigor - have your gen x 90s nostalgia goggles strapped on super super tight too.
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/27/2024, 9:13 AM
this right here was the nipple in the coffin
User Comment Image
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/27/2024, 10:46 AM
@harryba11zack - damn. This is bad. Really awful, bad.
I just wonder how the dumbasses who come up with ideas like this and actually think it'll work...what is wrong with their minds and disconnect to regular people?
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 8/27/2024, 9:13 AM
Because nobody gives a [frick] about The Crow
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2024, 9:17 AM
Because The Crow already had a brilliant movie based on it that is beloved. Literally no one asked for, or wanted a Crow remake.
SATW42
SATW42 - 8/27/2024, 9:23 AM
@CorndogBurglar - while it absolutely bombed, no question, it didn't make zero dollars at the box office, so there was some people who wanted it, as opposed to "literally no one"
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2024, 9:27 AM
@SATW42 - I suppose you take everything everyone says word for word, yes? You know exactly what I was saying.
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/27/2024, 9:28 AM
@CorndogBurglar - I did. I asked for it. And I watched it opening weekend in theaters. It just wasn’t very good.
SATW42
SATW42 - 8/27/2024, 9:40 AM
@CorndogBurglar - you could've said it without the word literally and I wouldn't have said a word.

I mean we have a dude here who every time someone says the word "honestly" he thanks them for their honesty on the subject, yet no one gets as bent out of shape with them as they do when I call out hyperbolic use of the word literally. See, I COULD'VE said they "literally" thank people for their honesty whenever they use that word, but I didn't, because I'm sure it's not every single time.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2024, 9:58 AM
@SATW42 - The way people talk isn't always exactly what is meant. This is nothing new. This has been a thing as long as humans have had language.

And I know for a fact you're not some idiotic moron. So for you to go so far as to post a comment calling out the way I used the word "literally" is a little weird. Especially nowadays when that word is rarely ever used the way its meant to be used.
Spoken
Spoken - 8/27/2024, 9:28 AM
The Crow 1994 (hate that I have to refer it to that now) is a movie that worked in a moment in time. It's story, the tragedy behind Brandon Lee, the atmosphere and of course the music. All of it, is a product of that time. Doing a remake just makes it a soulless cash-grab.

The franchise is cursed and should be left to be. It had an amazing graphic novel, a great film, all of it is a perfect lightning in a bottle.

Just look how poetic this movie must of felt in the theater knowing about Brandon Lee's death.
?si=EAUNSE1h5r7SZw6g

It will NEVER reach that level.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/27/2024, 10:49 AM
@Spoken - that's like saying The Dark Knight was only good because of Ledger's death.
Disrespectful. It succeeded because Heath nailed it and the film was actually good. It's the same with The Crow.
Spoken
Spoken - 8/27/2024, 11:36 AM
@lazlodaytona - That's not what I meant at all for why the movie is successful, his death however elevated the movie in a lot of different ways.

One of the themes in the movie, deal with tragedy. The writer, specifically wrote The Crow comic because of how tragedy struck him. So coincidentally, Brandon Lee's death was incredibly tragic for his family and of course everyone on the set, the writer who later regretted writing The Crow comic, to the point where even the studio wasn't even sure how to continue. Hell Paramount dropped it. That's why I'm saying by the end scene, there is just this eerie feeling of him going back to the afterlife and the last line as well. It's because everyone who went to go see The Crow, knew he had sadly passed so it makes the film even more special in my eyes.

The movie regardless, would of been a hit if Brandon was alive today. The atmosphere, the acting, hell even Brandon Lee just made the character so cool. It was always going to be quintessential to his career.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/27/2024, 8:49 PM
@Spoken - "...his death however elevated the movie in a lot of different ways."

Just an inappropriate thing to say.
Whatever ur arguments are for saying and choosing that stance are just mindless drivil from a soulless creature
Spoken
Spoken - 8/27/2024, 10:38 PM
@lazlodaytona - I think your thinking too much into what I’m saying, but I can sense adult conversations are not up your alley. Let me dumb it down for you.

It’s a discussion about the movie and the legacy that Brandon Lee had left behind when making The Crow. That’s what makes this movie impossible to remake. Is that too much to comprehend for your thick idiotic skull?

Get a grip child.

newhire13
newhire13 - 8/27/2024, 11:07 PM
@lazlodaytona - 😂 calm your hormones
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/28/2024, 10:57 PM
@Spoken - so, they aren't gonna make another Batman after Heath Ledger died while being the Joker?

Oh, wait. They've made 4 films after with Batman and countless animated Batman films. and the JOKER has lived on.

Don't down-talk me when u are the imbecile.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/28/2024, 11:00 PM
@newhire13 - and u randomly went into this conversation because?

You're a crow scholar? Or a Joker one....

Did u know Brandon Lee or Heath Ledger?

If not the F'N sod off you sh1t stirrer.
TheDarkLastSonKnight
TheDarkLastSonKnight - 8/27/2024, 9:30 AM
The Brandon Lee Crow was a formative part of my childhood. Probably the first truly edgy film I watched, at around 10 years old. The performance, the aesthetics, the one liners, and violence, all incredible.

With that said, from the production purgatory this film has been in, The Jason Momoa images and direction seemed to be the one that could have achieved success as it seemed to be the most faithful to the Lee film.

Victims, aren't we all.


lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/27/2024, 10:50 AM
@TheDarkLastSonKnight - my favorite quote of his
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 8/27/2024, 9:40 AM
It's a dead franchise, no pun intended. There's nothing about the concept or the main character, that's strong enough to warrant a reboot. No on-going comic (that I know of) to keep The Crow relevant. Also, Bill Skarsgård may be a talented actor, but he's not a leading man, in terms of mainstream popularity, and box-office appeal.
dracula
dracula - 8/27/2024, 9:40 AM
any answer beyond it sucks is pointless unless it made a reasonable amount of money but had a bloated budger because of behind the scenes issues
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/27/2024, 9:55 AM
It’s weird to me whenever we question why a terrible reviewed movie bombs or an amazingly reviewed movie succeeds. Like it seems fairly obvious. It’s much more interesting to discuss great reviewed movies that bomb or terribly reviewed movies make tons of money.

As for The Crow, I mean come on, the movie wasn’t very good, the marketing wasn’t very good, and they tried to reinvent the wheel so it wasn’t even appealing to fans of the comics or the 1994 film.
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