If you’re an OG comic book fan and one of the lucky people born in the 1900s, you likely remember the frenzy revolving around the ’94 film adaptation of the comic book The Crow, starring Brandon Lee.
While the original filming remains shrouded in the tragedy of the on-site death of the lead actor, that hasn’t stopped movie makers from taking a stab at yet another version here in 2024.
The Crow is receiving a 2000s remake with a new face behind the supernatural being and an extended plotline suited to the current century. Here’s everything we know about the 2024 version of The Crow.
Why Is The Crow Movie Being Remade?
The Crow franchise was heavily targeted in the ’90s with several storylines that feature the Crow symbol.
The original ’94 film garnered a lot of attention after the lead actor, Lee (son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee), tragically died on set during filming. The incident occurred during a scene where Lee’s villain counterpart, Funboy (actor Michael Massee), shot Lee with a prop gun.
Unfortunately, the bullet fired turned out to be real. The gunshot caused an untreatable stomach wound that led to Lee’s death the same day after a failed surgery.
His sexy, gothed-out pose adorned many bedroom walls. The velvet texture of the blacklight poster made his eerie grin more sinister and supernatural.
Like many movie remakes lately, producers wanted to bring a classic into modern times. Starting with the makeup and general appearance of the main character.
The ’90s version was all goth, with a white face and dramatic black marks on the eyes and mouth. Today’s version is less makeup and more skin art, as we see Skarsgård’s sexy flesh covered in tattoos, sans makeup except eyeliner to show off his alluring gaze.
While Lee’s version saw some success at the time and remains a favorite for loyalists, the additional versions received less fan love. We’re eager to see how the underlying storyline changes to meet current movie trends.
Several plans have been to remake the Crow movie over the years, but each one has fallen through until now. The next question is how many movies they will re-do and whether they will recreate the series.
What is The Crow Backstory?
The Crow is a comic book published in 1989 by James O’Barr. There were four volumes published through Caliber Comics. Tundra Publishing released the conclusion to the story in 1992. It became a graphic novel with previously unpublished material in 1993, published by Kitchen Sink Press.
Pocket Books currently holds publishing rights to the title and has recently re-released the previous graphic novel with a new cover.
The mystical bird has a history of lore dating back to Native American legends, inspiring the story of the hit movie franchise.
Originally, the story followed the tragedy of a couple horrendously murdered, with the man left to suffer helplessly as he watched the love of his life die.
A year after their horrible deaths, a supernatural crow brings Eric Draven back to life. His sole purpose for the resurrection is vengeance against those who harmed him.
Over the remakes, the main character has changed, along with the cause of death and the reason for reviving. In every version, the supernatural crow has been the symbol of righteousness and redemption.
The Crow comic book came about as a source of grief therapy for creator O’Barr. While reeling from the death of his wife, he created a redemption story where the anti-hero gets closure over the anger of his loss through justified revenge.
The Crow Plot Line
The plot line of this new version of The Crow is the same as the original ’94 version starring Lee.
The premise is that bad guys kill Eric Draven and his soulmate, Shelly. In the original version, we only saw glimpses of the couple’s life together. The main focus was on the revenge storyline.
Every version — including the 2024 remake — features a supernatural crow that offers a chance at justice to someone who lost their life to an act of violence. In the ’94 and ’24 versions, Draven gets the chance to save his love by sacrificing himself.
The crow grants Draven the power of invincibility to allow him to return from the dead and bring the responsible gang members to justice.
Rumors are rotating that the new version will have a major plot change with more focus on the romance aspect of the story.
Rather than giving us flashbacks of the romance between Draven and Shelly, we see more of their backstory leading to the encounter with gang members that causes their deaths.
The Crow Cast Members
Fans of the original Crow movie are likely reluctant to check out this reboot after the previous failed attempts at casting and filming The Crow sequels after the tragic, unexpected death of Brandon Lee.
Lee embodied Draven in a way that all other characters have failed so far.
But with the success of several movie reboots like Ghostbusters and Top Gun, The Crow might have a chance.
Especially with its star-studded cast. Expect to see these favorites lend their talents:
Bill Skarsgård will be taking on the most important role of the film, appearing as Draven and his makeup-clad alter ego, The Crow.
You might be familiar with Skarsgård’s previous work as Pennywise in the remake of Stephen King’s The IT — which earned him the MTV award for Best Villian — Barbarian, Eternals, and John Wick: Chapter 4.
Series he’s appeared in include Castle Rock (as the kid), Hemlock Grove, and Clark.
Check out the Pennywise origin story in the series “Welcome to Derry.”
Playing the role of Shelly, the wife of Draven and the reason why he becomes his alter ego, is FKA Twigs (Honey Boy).
Twigs isn’t just talented in front of the camera as an actor but also likes to flaunt her musical talents as a popular singer.
Other confirmed actors that will appear in this remake include Danny Huston (Yellowstone), Laura Birn, Jordan Bolger, Isabella Wei, Paul A Maynard, Jim High, Sami Bouajila, David Bowles, and Dukagjin Podrimaj as Detective Milch.
Previous names considered to star in The Crow that have since passed include Bradley Cooper, Luke Evans, Tom Hiddleston, Jake Huston, and Jason Momoa.
The Crow Release Date
The current timeline states that eager fans will soon have a new version of this timeless vigilante to judge. The Crow reboot should come out on June 7, as long as there are no delays.
For those of us eager to see how the remake honors or insults the original, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the release makes its current release date. In the meantime, we’ll continue to absorb the breadcrumbs released, including clips, photos, and news.
Will The Crow Be in Theaters or Go for a Streaming Release?
Crow fans can enjoy this Skarsgård film on the big screen as The Crow hits theaters before being available on your favorite streaming platforms.
These thirsty eyes are looking forward to seeing the tattooed and traumatized Skarsgård’s sexy self stretched across my local movie theater screen. Those napkins in my cupholder won’t be from the extra butter on my popcorn that day.
Who is Making The Crow?
The Crow is being directed by Rupert Sanders, known for his amazing work in the drama/horror rendition of Snow White and the Huntsman. His unique take on minor story parts makes him the perfect director to tackle the different views of a comic protagonist.
Where Did The Crow Film?
Filming of this remake took place at a former air force base located 30 miles west of Munich, Germany, in a backlot in Penzing. Penzing Studios kept most of the filming on-site, with a few scenes shot in Munich and Prague.
The Crow will be Penzing’s first major international film production. The VFX work and digital asset creation will occur in Bavaria, Germany.
Where to Watch the Previous Crow Movies?
There are four current films in the Crow collection without this new remake (which makes five).
The Crow (1994) — Watch on Prime Video
The Crow: City of Angels (1996) — Watch with Hoopla Subscription
The Crow: Salvation (2000) — Stream for free on Plex Player, Shout! Factory TV, or Plex
The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) — Watch with Hoopla Subscription
There was also a 1990s TV series flop starring Mark Dacascos, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, which, in hindsight, was very good. The biteback on that likely came from the macabre circumstances surrounding the film and its star.
Is There a The Crow Trailer
Currently, there is no trailer release for this movie remake.
There have only been a few teaser photos. Here’s our favorite scene thus far! The pure lust and love oozing from the clip gives me butterflies and has me uber-excited to see how this version lends more toward the nuance of romantic tragedy.
But be sure to subscribe to TV Fanatic to get notified when we have a clip for you to view!
Sara Trimble is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow her on X.