Original ‘The Crow’ director rebukes Bill Skarsgård reboot

Alex Proyas, director of 1994’s The Crow starring Brandon Lee, has shared his thoughts on the upcoming reboot starring Bill Skarsgård.

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Following the release of first-look images from the upcoming reboot and a trailer shortly after, fans have been taking to social media to voice their disdain. Several gripes against the upcoming Skarsgård-led reboot on the trailer’s YouTube page take issue with the revamped look of the lead protagonist, as well as the overall feel of the trailer so far.

Comments on the trailer – which reportedly boasts more dislikes than likes, per ComicBookMovie – range from “Why does the Crow look like Machine Gun Kelly dressed up like Florida Joker?” and “In the original, Eric looks like he plays guitar for Nine Inch Nails. In the reboot, Eric looks like he raps on SoundCloud” to “The only thing this trailer accomplished was making me want to watch the original”.

Now Proyas, who helmed the beloved 1994 film – which served as Brandon Lee’s final role – has taken to Facebook to share his thoughts on the reboot. He wrote: “I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work. And I’m certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film.”

Proyas went on to add: “It pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan’s response speaks volumes. THE CROW is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That’s how it should remain.”

Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee and an action star in his own right, played the role of Eric Draven in the 1994 film. Draven and his girlfriend were killed, leading to Draven’s was resurrected and went on a quest for revenge. Skarsgård and FKA Twigs‘ film will similarly tell the same story.

While filming the 1994 movie, Lee was tragically killed during an accident on set as a bullet got stuck in prop gun that misfired and shot into Lee’s stomach.

The upcoming remake is directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White And The Huntsman, Ghost In The Shell), who told Vanity Fair that he considers the film a tribute to Lee’s memory, despite it being an entirely new take on the 1994 horror-revenge love story. The original movie was based on the 1989 comic book series of the same name by James O’Barr.

“Brandon was an original voice, and I think he will always be synonymous with The Crow and I hope he’s proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve brought the story back again. His soul is very much alive in this film,” Sanders said, adding that Skarsgård brings a “disturbing beauty” to the role. “There’s a real fragility and beauty to his version of the Crow, and I think Bill feels like he is a successor to that.”

The Crow is currently set to land in cinemas on June 7, 2024.

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