Summary
- News of this summer’s
Crow
reboot, with Bill Skarsgard slated as Eric Draven in the role made famous by Brandon Lee, has elicited negative reactions among fans. - The complex legacy of
The Crow
spans multiple attempted sequels and a TV show, but none have had lasting success, even as new characters were introduced. - Bill Skarsgard’s casting in the reboot may be the last chance for
The Crow
to succeed commercially and win over new fans; the old ones are already resigned to rejecting any modern reinterpretation.
Upon news of the upcoming reboot of The Crow, the internet was immediately flooded with the customary tidal wave of bile. The downvote ratio on the trailer as of writing is trending negative, with little hope attached to Swedish actor Bill Skarsgard, now seizing the mantle of protagonist Eric Draven.
Crow fanatics are not welcoming the reboot with open arms and don’t seem too fond of someone trying to replace Brandon Lee, either. But it’s about a quarter of a century too late to be worried about that.
The Tragedy of The Crow and Brandon Lee
The Crow
- Release Date
- May 19, 1994
- Runtime
- 102
The Crow was an unusual film marred by a tragedy during principal photography that would traumatize the industry for years. The source material was launched amid the “Dark Age” of comics in 1989 (dark having nothing to do with the quality but rather the grim lines, shadowy cinematography, and nihilistic sensibilities of the comics), where the bright colors and simplistic do-gooder characters were rejected in favor of vengeful, emotionally-damaged crusaders with only the faintest ember of humanity left inside, like Draven or Al Simmons (Spawn). The signature look of the 1994 movie doesn’t veer from the comic book, director Alex Proyas quoted as forging the adaptation into the “anti-comic book movie.”
The result culminated in one of the more memorable superhero movies in a decade of rapidly declining quality. It starred Brandon Lee in the lead as the man who returns from the dead to seek justice on the dregs of the underworld in proper R-rated fashion and with a steady supply of F-bombs. If that ain’t your bag, definitely don’t bother watching it.
The 30th Anniversary Release of The Crow Captures Brandon Lee’s Passion Perfectly
The new home media and theatrical release of 1994’s The Crow is a testament to Brandon Lee and a time capsule of the ’90s.
It’s possibly the most ’90s thing that ever existed, stylish but over the top. However, an on-set accident would kill the star, Lee, and the film would be defined for that as much as anything else, taking on a tragic aura that only amplified its central, morbid appeal and themes. For the entirety of this century and part of the ’90s, producers have been scheming for a way to relaunch the property, albeit with new actors playing new roles. There have been multiple attempts to maintain the series, but these installments’ impact on the long-term reputation of the series has been minimal and possibly even detrimental. From the page to film to the small screen, The Crow has defied death multiple times but has never translated into prolonged success.
The Crow TV Series and Mark Dacascos’ Portrayal
Audiences pining for more from the character would not be disappointed; the TV adaptation The Crow: Stairway to Heaven was syndicated internationally by PolyGram Films starting in 1998. Taking its cues from the James O’Barr graphic novel, it would resume the adventures of Eric Draven, now in a weekly format. Like many failed shows, this one wasn’t without its fair share of diehard fans and impressed critics. Obviously, the production budget wasn’t on the same level, and there were necessary cuts in the magnitude of violence, profanity, and drug usage, but for those that tuned in, it did fulfill a badly needed goth-superhero fix in the absence of Tim Burton’s emo Batman.
The thankless task fell to actor Mark Dacascos, a journeyman performer probably best known to audiences at that point for his role in Double Dragon. His life paralleled Lee’s in many ways and thus was a natural fit to carry on the burden of embodying the character. Both Lee and Dacascos were martial artists by trade; both had mixed Asian and European ancestry, lived abroad, and both worked their way up the TV industry, honing their acting skills in silly bit parts until they could find roles that highlighted their fighting skills. On paper, at least, he was the ideal choice.
Though the TV adaptation was celebrated for its choreography and editing, the show could not overcome the looming shadow cast by the death of Lee. This may be why people believe that the IP is cursed. In a bit of a shock, the series was canceled by new owner Universal after original production company Polygram was bought in 1999. Initial reports in the trade magazines guaranteed that it was to be renewed, but we know those reports were erroneous. There were rumors of a TV movie to tie up the loose ends of the cliffhanger of Season 1, but that never came to fruition. For a second time, Crow fans had their hearts broken. It was a trend they’d get used to.
The Crow Continued Through Film
Yeah, okay. Enough stalling. We’re not going to avoid the elephant in the room. Over time, the series has suffered at the hands of filmmakers who didn’t really understand the comic or what made the original Lee-helmed drama so interesting. Instead of trying to fill the shoes of the first on-screen Draven, Lee, the newer films compromised and had new actors occupying entirely new roles. Think of this caveat as the movies trying to get a little wiggle room, allowing the series to continue without the backlash of fans protesting another actor playing Eric Draven. As we’ve seen with the Skarsgard backlash, they were rightfully justified in retrospect.
The three official sequels all failed to rekindle interest, perhaps sticking too close to the formula, each new actor donning the same makeup as Lee but lacking the gravitas or cheekbones to carry a film. A huge component of the 1994 film’s success was director Alex Proyas, who had come to the attention of producers through his work in music videos for INXS and virtually nothing else.
‘Even Worse Than the Photos We Saw’: Fans of The Crow Give Their Verdict on Remake Trailer
Fans have had their said on the first footage of Lionsgate’s remake of The Crow, and it reactions are not kind.
Only fittingly, Draven was shot and presented as a true rock god. This kind of dark, glamorous worship of the anti-hero archetype made the film stand out even as it failed to win over critics with its jittery editing, subject matter, and ultra-violence. As one critic was quick to assess the gloomy movie, it was from the start bound for a lasting legacy as an underground grind-house movie phenomenon:
The Crow is the pop-nihilo event of the season, a cinematic Black Mass … heading straight for cult status and midnight audiences”
The first in a wave of sequels, The Crow: City of Angels (with Vincent Perez playing the new character Ashe Corven), hit theaters in 1996, followed by the 2000 film The Crow: Salvation (Eric Mabius as Alex Corvis). Both names were puns, as ravens and crows are members of the corvid family. All the cool names, Rob Zombie songs, CGI, and Iggy Pop cameos were never going to be enough to save these films from fans’ apathy.
By 2005, commercial viability and fan excitement had been depleted; The Crow series culminated in The Crow: Wicked Prayer, starring Edward Furlong of Terminator 2 fame. Although, to call him famous at this juncture is a bit of a stretch. He, too, played a new character called Jimmy Cuervo – Cuervo being Spanish for crow. Deep, huh? – with Tara Reid and David Boreanaz in supporting roles. The film disappeared into the bargain bin before fans could light their torches and sharpen their pitchforks.
Bill Skarsgard Will Lead The Crow Reboot
With one remake of a ’90s classic already under his belt, Skarsgard’s turn as Pennywise proved him as a skilled performer and well-liked figure within the horror community, not to mention totally willing to indulge in weird makeup. Replacing Tim Curry wasn’t easy, but it shows the producers’ faith in Skarsgard and their trust in him with this film, the first big-budget Crow project in 30 years. With names as random as Bradley Cooper, James McAvoy, and Jason Momoa tossed around as prospective successors to Lee, it isn’t hard to grasp just how hard it is to nail the casting.
The job of reassigning the titular role of The Crow is enough to drive casting directors to a mental breakdown. That’s ignoring the bigger issue: the fans themselves. On social media, Proyas ridiculed the new film as besmirching the reputation of the original 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.”
Demonstrating the utterly obscure state of the forgotten films and TV show, Proyas didn’t realize the movie had already been remade and rebooted several times in different forms. Recasting an established film is often treacherous. Looking at the early publicity shots of Skarsgard, you get a Rooney Mara vibe. Mara fills in for Noomi Rapace in the Lisbeth Salander gig in the English language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
However, some fans see those same promo images of Skarsgard and only see another Jared Leto Joker playing out in front of their eyes. Certain characters are frankly bigger than any actor ever could be. Perhaps it wasn’t Lee that made the original Draven so great, but The Crow that made Brandon Lee great, the actor immortalized as a cult hero in a perfect storm of elements only possible in the zeitgeist of ’90s angst and irrational affection for black trench coats.
What does the future hold for this character and series? Well, not to sound the alarm early, but this film could be the final chance to strike a claim in a crowded comic-book world that is losing steam. Another underwhelming financial performance, and we might not see another Crow resurrection anytime soon. Cross your fingers. The Crow, starring Bill Skarsgard, debuts worldwide later this August.
