The Crow Remake Hit With Delay, Doomed To Be A Flop?

Originally slated to come out on June 7th, The Crow remake has been pushed back to August 23rd. The move was likely to avoid competition with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth entry in an established action-comedy franchise that comes out on June 7th. There is less competition in late August, which explains the move. 

Based on the 1989 James O’Barr comic book of the same name, both versions of The Crow tell the story of Eric Draven, a man who is killed and brought back to life to avenge his murder and the death of his girlfriend.

The official synopsis of the remake indicates that it will follow the same basic story as the original. The similarities will draw more comparisons to the original, which could backfire if it doesn’t match the iconic style of the 1994 movie. 

The Crow remake is in a difficult position, as it’s uncertain if fans of the original will come out to see a new version. As a cult classic that defined the style and tone of the 90s, The Crow has an almost mythological status among its fans, the sort of movie that’s nearly impossible to reboot successfully.

The movie will have to live up to the original to win fans over, a difficult task that could tank the box office results if it can’t generate hype among the existing fans. 

The disappointing sequels to the original are partially to blame for fan skepticism. After The Crow came out in 1994 three sequels followed between 1996 and 2005, none of which were well received. Those sequels tarnished the franchise’s reputation and The Crow remake has to overcome the skepticism those sequels created. 

Perhaps the biggest hurdle The Crow remake has to overcome is the legendary status of the original’s lead.  Brandon Lee was a rising star when he was cast in the original version of The Crow, which would be his biggest and final movie. An on-set accident tragically resulted in Lee’s death, intertwining his legacy with the original movie forever. 

If The Crow remake is going to succeed Bill Skarsgård will have to give a performance that’s good enough to live up to the legacy of Brandon Lee.

While fans will always judge performances in a remake against the original, Lee’s death makes those comparisons emotionally fraught. Skarsgård doesn’t just have to compete with Brandon Lee’s actual performance but also with the near-mythic idea of what Lee’s future as an actor could have been. 

With so much to overcome The Crow remake is, at best, a risk. The fact that the movie is being moved to avoid competing with a popular franchise shows that it lacks the reliability of an established title, despite being a remake of a popular film.

Whether it can live up to the original movie, and Brandon Lee’s legacy will be determined when The Crow is released on August 23rd.