The Crow Director Slams Remake

Proyas didn’t stop there. He dived deeper into the comments writing, “I guess he’s supposed to be a bad mofo with all those tats and werewolves and skulls on his jacket.”

It’s a valid opinion, and many fans of the original The Crow are in agreement. Bill Skarsgard’s version of the character has been compared to emo rappers like Lil Peep and Jared Leto’s Hot Topic-like Joker. It’s fair to say that the character is a bit of a far cry from the goth rock look that Brandon Lee sported in the 1994 version.

There have been concerns about The Crow remake since it was announced, with most fans feeling like there really wasn’t a need for a remake. But, the announcement of Bill Skarsgard’s casting as Eric Draven was met with some hope, since Skarsgard has proven he can turn in transformative performances like when he played Pennywise in IT. However, the costuming department really isn’t doing him any favors with the stills we’ve seen.

At least FKA Twigs, who is playing Draven’s fiancee Shelly Webster, wasn’t subject to the same Hot Topic-esque look. While the makeup and costuming choices for Draven aren’t necessarily indicative of the film’s quality, it’s not a great step from a marketing standpoint. Hopefully, Skarsgard will look much better when he’s fully in costume as The Crow persona.

The Crow, both the original and remake, is based on the comic book series of the same name by James O’Barr. The story follows musician Eric Draven and his fiancee, Shelly Webster, who are brutally murdered by a gang. One year later, Eric comes back from the dead and becomes the Crow as he seeks revenge against the people who murdered him and his girlfriend. The original film featured an all-time great performance by Brandon Lee, who was tragically killed by a prop gun during the film’s production. 

The Crow spawned several sequels, and the upcoming remake will be the fifth film in the franchise, serving as a reboot. Rupert Sanders is directing the remake from a screenplay by Zach Baylin and Will Schneider. Along with Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs, the film stars Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger.

There’s always the possibility that Bill Skarsgard could look much cooler later on in the film, considering he doesn’t spend very much time as a non-Crow Eric Draven in the story. The film has been in development since 2008, so it’s definitely a long time coming.

We won’t have to wait too long to see if The Crow remake can bring something new to the table that honors the original cult classic. The film is set to release this summer. You can check it out for yourself when it hits the big screen on June 7.