A few days ago, between a political rant and a guide to minimum deposit casinos, I’ve stumbled upon a piece of news about how both star Jason Momoa and Corin Hardy left the upcoming remake (or reboot?) of “The Crow”. This most likely means that the movie – if it is even produced – will miss its desired premiere date of October 11, 2019. To add insult to injury, filming of the movie was set to be started in a month or so – there is no way Davis Films, the owner of the rights to the remake, is unlikely to be able to cast a protagonist and hire a director in a time this short.
I am sure there are many Jason Momoa fans out there who have not seen the original “The Crow” movie starring Brandon Lee (the son of the legendary kung-fu phenom Bruce Lee), directed by noir mastermind Alex Proyas. For them, the piece of news above is surely a bad one. But there are many who have seen and loved the 1994 original, based on an obscure 1989 comic book with the same title by James O’Barr, and remember the tragic loss of its protagonist caused by a freak accident on the set. And they all think that the news above is the best possible one and that the remake shouldn’t ever be made.
One of those who have probably sighed in relief upon reading about Momoa’s and Hardy’s exit was Alex Proyas, the director of the 1994 movie. Last December, he pleaded in a social media update for the remake to stop entirely, reminding everyone of the tragic loss of a talented actor and of the movie serving as his legacy:
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.
Relativity Media was the first company to attempt to “reinvent” the story back in 2008 – British director Stephen Norrington wanted to deviate from Proyas’ original and make the new movie “realistic, hard-edged and mysterious, almost documentary-style”. He later stepped down, being replaced by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) who also stepped back, and was replaced by Francisco Javier Gutiérrez in 2012, who was then replaced by Corin Hardy in 2014. After Relativity’s death in 2014, Davis Film acquired the rights for the movie, and the quest for a remake started once again – but to no avail. The actors rumored to be cast for the role of Eric Draven range from Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston, Jack Huston, Nicholas Hoult, and finally Jason Momoa.
Will Davis Film give it another go? Well, it depends on Sony, who has signed on to distribute the film. If the entertainment giant steps back, it’s unlikely for the studio to give “The Crow” remake another go. And if you ask me, it’s for the best.