Haunting first images of Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs in the upcoming remake of the 1994 hit film The Crow have been released, bringing renewed focus on the classic’s original star, the late Brandon Lee.
But not everyone is on board with the idea of a remake — or the timing of its release.
Speaking to Vanity Fair about the new version, director Rupert Sanders said he hoped Lee would have been “proud of what we’ve done”.
Stream the world’s best reality, entertainment and true-crime shows free on 7plus
“Brandon was an original voice and I think he will always be synonymous with The Crow,” Sanders added.
“His soul is very much alive in this film.”
Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, originated the role of the vengeful Eric Draven in The Crow — the Alex Proyas-directed supernatural thriller based on the comic book series by James O’Barr.
In March 1993, 28-year-old Lee was accidentally shot and killed by a jammed prop gun on the film’s set.
The first-look photos showcase Skarsgard’s version of Draven, with a punk haircut and methodically-placed tattoos from head to toe.
His signature black makeup is an eerie reminder of Lee’s Draven.
Singer FKA Twigs is also seen in the photos, playing Draven’s love interest Shelly.
While the 1994 film has become something of a cult classic, Sanders’ version of the film is a modern reimagining and veers from O’Barr’s source material.
Despite the differences, the Snow White and the Huntsman director told Vanity Fair that his take is still a tribute to the memory of Lee.
“Obviously, it was a terrible tragedy,” Sanders said of the star’s untimely death, adding that “it’s definitely something that we’ve always had in mind through the making of the film.”
Describing Lee’s original take on Draven as a performance that possessed “fragility and beauty,” Sanders said he thinks that Skarsgard — known for his chilling rendition of Pennywise the Clown in the It remakes – “feels like he is a successor to that.”
Sanders’ Crow follows Eric Draven (Skarsgard) and his fiancee Shelly, whose dark past catches up with them.
The film is set for release on June 7 this year, but not everyone is excited.
When Lionsgate published the first pictures from the new film on Instagram, some fans made their feelings known.
“How dare you release this during the 30th anniversary of The Crow,” one fan wrote.
“You should never touch a legacy movie and use the same name.
“Change the name of the movie at the very least.”
“Don’t release this … it’s a spit in the face and legacy of Brandon Lee,” complained another.
”Brandon Lee’s The Crow is like Heath Ledger as The Joker,” a third fan said.
“This feels like Jared Leto as The Joker.”
Others weren’t so bothered by the idea of a remake.
“I can completely understand why people are upset, but in hindsight, the Crow is a comic book character, and those characters are specifically built to be able to have multiple different iterations and multiple different takes, depending on who is writing that character,” one person said.
“Trying something fresh and new. Looks good. I’m impressed,” wrote another.
“Drop the trailer please!” begged another.
– with CNN
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!