After all this time, we may finally, actually, really be getting a reboot of the gothic comic book venture, The Crow. According to a recent report by Deadline, The Crow reboot starring Bill Skarsgård has now officially entered post-production and has acquired financial backing courtesy of financier Ashland Hill Media Finance.
Ashland Hill Media Finance includes producers Joe Simpson, Simon Williams and Jonathan Bross, who will now co-finance the long-awaited reboot of The Crow alongside CAA Media Finance and FilmNation. Which is all great news for the project, and means that The Crow has edged ever closer to gracing the silver screen once again after all these years.
Created by James O'Barr, The Crow began life as a comic book and revolves around a young man named Eric, who is forced to watch his fiancée, Shelly, murdered by a gang of street thugs after their car breaks down. Eric is then shot in the head, later dying in hospital. He is soon resurrected by a crow and seeks vengeance on the murderers, methodically stalking and killing them while dealing with the loss of Shelly.
The tale of resurrection and revenge has been adapted into live-action before, with 1994’s offering starring Brandon Lee being met with positive reviews. Sadly, the movie achieved infamy following the tragic on-set death of Lee, who was fatally wounded during filming. This take on The Crow has since garnered a passionate cult following and become something of a gothic classic. The franchise has since spawned several, much lesser sequels, including The Crow: City of Angels in 1996, The Crow: Salvation in 2000, and finally The Crow: Wicked Prayer in 2005.
Directed by Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell) and written by Zach Baylin (King Richard, Creed III), The Crow is set to star Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven aka The Crow, FKA Twigs as Eric's fiancée, and Danny Huston. The project is produced by Molly Hassell (Braven, Terminal), Victor Hadida (Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises), John Jencks (Honest Thief, Guns Akimbo), and Edward R. Pressman (American Psycho, The Crow, Wall Street).
A Reboot of The Crow Has Been in the Works for Some Time
This reboot of The Crow has been a long time coming. The project first entered development back in 2008, with several A-list stars tapped to lead. The likes of A Star is Born and The Hangover star Bradley Cooper, Beauty and the Beast actor Luke Evans, Boardwalk Empire and American Hustle star Jack Huston, and Aquaman actor Jason Momoa have all been cast and then recast over the years, with images of the latter in costume making their way online last year.
“The Crow is beautiful, dark, poetic and sometimes disturbing,” Sanders said of his vision for The Crow in a statement. “It is a story of love, loss, grief, and revenge. It is a great honor to revisit James O’Barr’s iconic comic and reimagine The Crow as a foreboding voice of today.”
The Crow reboot has not yet been given a release date, but things are looking good for the long, long-awaited project.