Though it recently found a home at Sony Pictures, The Crow reboot (not titled The Crow Reborn) has endured a notoriously difficult spell in development.
Directors have come and gone in what has quickly become one of Hollywood’s better-known revolving doors, but there is light at the end of the tunnel: Corin Hardy (The Nun) and Justice League‘s Jason Momoa are now poised to direct and star, respectively.
It’s still early, early days, mind you, but if Alex Proyas has his way, The Crow reboot will languish deep in the bowels of development hell in perpetuity. Per Facebook (with a tip of the hat to Bloody Disgusting), Proyas delivered a lengthy plea in which he claims that the idea of a rebooting The Crow – or continuing the series in any way that detracts from Brandon Lee’s legacy – “seems wrong.”
I was privileged to know Brandon Lee – he was a young, immensely gifted actor with a great sense of humor and a bright future ahead of him. I was also privileged to have been able to call him a friend. Our working relationship as actor/director went beyond mere collaboration. We crafted a movie together which has touched many people.
I did not take a “film by” credit on THE CROW. I wanted it to be Brandon’s movie, because it was, and because he would not be able to make any more movies. He brought all his passion to the movie and it has lasted as his legacy. It is a film I know he would have been proud of.
Alex Proyas launched an adaptation of The Crow back in ’94, though the entire production was almost derailed due to Brandon Lee’s tragic passing. One year before the film’s release, Lee died when an on-set stunt went awry, leaving Proyas and his team traumatized as they pieced together the remainder of their supernatural feature through special effects. And it’s this legacy that Alex Proyas is fighting to protect.
The heartfelt plea continues below:
I finished the film for Brandon – struggling through grief, along with the hugely supportive cast & crew who all loved Brandon, to complete it in his absence. We were imbued with the strength of Brandon’s spirit and his inspiration. Not only Brandon’s wonderful work as an actor and a film-maker, but as a man, who’s humanity had touched us.
THE CROW would not be a movie worth “remaking” if it wasn’t for Brandon Lee. If it wasn’t for Brandon you may never have even heard of this poignant little underground comic. It is Brandon’s movie. I believe it is a special case where Hollywood should just let it remain a testament to a man’s immense talent and ultimate sacrifice – and not have others re-write that story or add to it. I know sequels were made, and TV shows, and what have you, but the notion of “rebooting” this story, and the original character – a character Brandon gave life to at too high a cost – seems wrong to me. Please let this remain Brandon’s film.
At the time of writing, the director’s Facebook post has garnered close to 1,000 reactions, 305 shares, and over 100 comments, so it remains to be seen whether Sony takes heed of this frank plea. Moreover, Proyas doesn’t hold any ownership over the Eric Draven character.
The Crow is expected to begin filming early next year ahead of a potential release in 2019.
