The much-anticipated remake will be released in the UK in August.
Film critics and industry-heads who have been to see the new The Crow film have had some strong words to say about it.
The follow-up to the 1997 cult-classic will arrive in cinema’s across the UK on August 23, and stars Bill Skarsgard as the protagonist Eric Draven.
Considering the actor who played Draven in the original – Brandon Lee- died in a freak accident on-set while filming, there is undoubtedly an emotional element attached to the portrayal of the character 27 years on from that tragic event.
Fans were initially excited by the inclusion of Skarsgard, who haunted viewers in his portrayal of the clown in the IT franchise, but stills released from the making of the movie have led to doubts over whether this project will live up to its potential.
The original wasn’t an immediate success when it first hit cinemas, but love and appreciation for the comic book adaptation have grown over the years.
The film is a dark superhero flick which follows Draven, a young man who is murdered alongside his fiancee the night before his wedding.
A year later, Draven rises from the dead and takes the form of a supernatural entity known as The Crow who is thirsty for vengeance against those responsible for his and his partner’s deaths.
The new design of The Crow is a wildly different take when compared to Brandon Lee, who played the titular role in the 1994 film, a look that has become iconic in the years following its release.
The 2024 remake already looks to be stepping several degrees away from the original, and considering actor Brandon Lee was tragically killed during the filming of the first movie, people are already calling the trailer “disrespectful”.
Furthermore, screenwriter Cliff Dorfman – best known for his work on 2011’s Warrior and the hit series Entourage – was treated to a private screening recently and tweeted the following after watching the movie.
“If hypothetically, one happened to see a screening of @TheCrow_Movie #thecrow which @Lionsgate is releasing in August, one might say, it’s horrible, it’s unwatchable, don’t waste your money, or can’t believe it’s so much worse than the original. It is. And don’t.”
The post has since been deleted, but his scathing review certainly hasn’t done the filmmakers or studio any favours with just weeks to go until it’s theatrical release.
Considering that Dorfman was previously attached to an adaptation of The Crow that didn’t get made, maybe we should be taking his thoughts with a pinch of salt.
Regardless, the reaction to the trailer release alone a couple of months ago suggests that people will be going to see the film with their minds already made up come August.
One of the top comments under the YouTube clip comes from a user by the name of @E_Crypto, who wrote: “In the original, Eric looks like he plays guitar for Nine Inch Nails. In the reboot, Eric looks like he raps on SoundCloud.”
Another person commented: “The only thing this trailer accomplished was making me want to watch the original.”
One other person said: “Bill Skargard’s back is going to hurt a lot from carrying this film.”
Thankfully for the filmmakers, a large contingency of fans remain hopeful that the casting of Skarsgard will come through in the end.
“I don’t get why people are comparing Bill Skarsgard with Brandon Lee before watching the movie. He is looking good. Waiting for the release,” one person commented.
A second wrote: “Looks better than I was expecting, I didn’t like the idea of remaking it at first but now I don’t know.”
Skarsgard isn’t the only big name involved in the remake.
British artist FKA Twigs will also star, and she impressed many in her acting debut in Shia LaBoeuf’s Honey Boy back in 2019.
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