Original director of ‘The Crow’ criticises Bill Skarsgård reboot
Alex Proyas, the director of 1994’s original adaptation of The Crow, has criticised Rupert Sanders’ upcoming reboot.
The Crow is one of the most storied and valued cult films. Written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, it is based on the dark 1989 comic book series by James O’Barr. Starring Brandon Lee – the son of martial arts icon Bruce – in his final movie appearance, he plays Eric Draven, a musician who returns from the dead to seek retribution on the criminals who murdered him and his financée.
In a heartbreaking parallel to the film’s scenes, the story of making The Crow is mired in tragedy, given that Lee died on set after being fatally wounded by a prop gun when shooting a scene. Amid such a catastrophe, the project was able to be completed because the actor had finished the majority of his sequences, with script rewrites, digital effects, and even his stunt double used to finish it. Subsequently, the finished version of Proyas’ The Crow is dedicated to Lee and his fiancée, Eliza Hutton.
Grossing $94million against a $23m budget, The Crow became one of the defining cult hits of the 1990s, spawning a media franchise and several sequels, none of which have been as well received as the first.
Adding to the status of the 1994 movie is that the soundtrack features a collection of the era’s most influential rock bands to echo the protagonist’s work as a musician. ‘Burn’ by The Cure is the central theme, with other tracks by Helmet, Rage Against the Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain comprising the collection, and covers by Nine Inch Nails and Pantera.
Despite the original movie being so lauded, after the first-look images from the reboot and the trailer were released – which stars Bill Skarsgård as Draven and FKA Twigs as his fiancée Shelly Webster – fans have been quick to dismiss what some have dubbed a disrespectful undertaking, given the significance of the movie and Lee’s death.
Arriving in US cinemas on June 7th and also starring the likes of Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger, the reboot is an updated take on the original, which sees Draven sport face tattoos like the contemporary SoundCloud rappers. Skarsgård’s character cuts a much different figure to Lee’s long-haired, face-paint-donning original. The leather garments also appear to be minimal, angering the franchise’s purist fans.
Proyas has also weighed in on the debate and has taken to Facebook to offer his opinion on the reboot. While he maintains that the new cast and crew will have had sound intentions, he notes that the original is more than just a movie, as it is the ultimate testament to the life and loss of Brandon Lee. To him, this is “how it should remain”.
The director, who also helmed Dark City and I, Robot, said: “I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work. And I’m certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film.”
He added: “It pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan’s response speaks volumes. THE CROW is not just a 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.”
Despite it being such a sensitive issue, Sanders directly addressed the death of Lee and told Vanity Fair that he views his new effort as a tribute to the actor’s memory. “Brandon was an original voice and I think he will always be synonymous with The Crow,” he maintained. “His soul is very much alive in this film. There’s a real fragility and beauty to his version of the Crow, and I think Bill feels like he is a successor to that.”
Watch the trailer for the upcoming version of The Crow below.
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