It star Bill Skarsgård signs on to star as the titular hero with Rupert Sanders directing. The supernatural superhero story revolves around Eric Draven, a musician who is murdered along with his fiancée by a random street gang in his town. A year to the date after their deaths, Draven is resurrected and sets out on a quest for revenge for the ones responsible, utilizing superhuman abilities to deal out his justice.
The Crow was originally published as a graphic novel of the same name by James O'Barr and was first adapted for the screen in 1994 with Brandon Lee portraying Draven and Alex Proyas at the helm. The adaptation scored largely positive reviews from critics for its darker visuals, unique production design, mature tone and Lee's performance, his final film role ever after his tragic death on set. Having grossed over $94 million against its $23 million budget, The Crow also proved to be a financial hit and spawned a franchise of three sequels and one TV show, all of which were poorly received, and garnered a cult following resulting in plans for a reboot that have struggled to get off the ground until now.
After languishing in development hell for the better part of a decade, The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that The Crow reboot is officially back on track. It and Castle Rock star Bill Skarsgård has signed on to play Eric Draven, the man resurrected from the dead in his need for revenge. Zach Baylin, who penned the Oscar-nominated King Richard, is writing the script for The Crow reboot while Snow White and the Huntsman's Rupert Sanders is attached to direct.
Development on The Crow reboot has gone through a variety of iterations throughout the years, having first begun in 2008 when Blade director Stephen Norrington revealed he was planning to write and direct a new adaptation. The years since have seen everyone from 28 Weeks Later's Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to The Nun's Corin Hardy attached to direct while Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Hiddleston and Luke Evans were all either in talks or attached at various points to star. Hardy's was the last The Crow reboot to be in the works with Jason Momoa attached for Draven and even having undergone makeup testing for the film, though it also fell through when both exited the project in 2018.
News that The Crow reboot is moving forward once again with Bill Skarsgård attached to star is sure to come as exciting news for those eager to see a new take on the material. Additionally, with Skarsgård having scored rave reviews for his turn as Pennywise the Clown in the IT movies, the actor should prove to be a good fit for both the gothic horror-tinged graphic novel and its brooding lead character. While audiences await further word from The Crow reboot set as production is expected to begin in June, they can revisit the Brandon Lee-led movie streaming on Paramount+ now.
Source: THR
