The Crow is one of the most beloved and revered classics of all time. It’s a great film, with many aspects that still hold up today. It’s a celebration of Goth culture, a severely underrepresented group in cinema. But most important of all, it is Brandon Lee’s cinematic legacy and his last artistic gift to the world. So naturally, the news of remaking such a venerated piece of pop culture would be expected to be met with some backlash. Interestingly enough, while there have been various attempts to reboot the classic over the years, with many filmmakers and stars attached and going through different phases of pre-production, nearly all of these attempts haven’t been much attacked and criticized.
Probably because they came and went without officially ever formulating, so few took the attempt seriously, as it seemed like a remake would never see the light of day. But now, the seemingly impossible actually happened. A reboot was recently filmed with Rupert Sanders (Snow White & The Huntsman) at the helm and Bill Skarsgård starring in the title role, and officially wrapped. That means an actual live action reboot got to the finish line and is heading our way soon enough.
And with that, the critical response came fast and heated, with plenty of social media rants filled with vile will towards the upcoming film. But does it really deserve such vitriol before it even has a chance to release a first trailer? Let’s examine why not only does it not, but that fans and audiences actually have a few reasons to be intrigued and excited by it.
It Has a Great Cast
The actor who stars as Eric Draven this time around needs no introduction nor selling point. Bill Skarsgård is a celebrated actor today and has been regarded as one of the finest performers of his generation. Yes, he’s no Brandon Lee. No one ever will be again. But he doesn’t have to be. Lee’s legacy is still there. It won’t ever be tarnished and we’ll always have it. But why does that mean that no actor should ever be allowed to play such a rich character again? That notion seems unfair. The story of The Crow, and the character of Eric Draven, are wonderful subjects to explore and bring to life. Many actors and filmmakers would love the opportunity to do it justice. Why can’t the original film and a reboot exist side by side, separately, and on their own? Why does it have to be one or the other?
The truth of the matter is that we could do a lot worse than having an actor of Skarsgård’s caliber taking it on. The fact that an incredible and artistic performer like him even chose to risk following in such legendary footsteps should earn our betting and the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t exactly have a track record of being in subpar films, and he commits himself to every role with the kind of method effort that would make Jared Leto jealous. And there’s no reason he would change his pattern now. So that should say a lot about the project. And his involvement is a key reason to give the remake an open mind, as well as some level of respect.
Another cast member is multi-talented artist FKA Twigs, filling the role of Shelley Webster, Eric’s doomed fiancé. This will be her serious debut as an actress, as she’s never had a significant role before. But her artistic and music career speaks for itself. She’s had acclaimed albums, chart-topping songs, music videos, and plenty of awards to her name. She’s also a dancer. While her acting abilities will certainly be tested in such a dark film, as an artist of great talent, she has more than proven herself in many envious ways. Her casting is another intriguing and unique part of the project.
Another acclaimed actor that joined the film is Danny Houston. He’s had an enormously successful career, playing a variety of great, interesting characters both in film and television. His character is not yet known, but his involvement with the already mentioned lead stars means this film will have no shortage of acting talent.
It Has a Great Creative Team Behind the Camera
The director of the upcoming reboot is Rupert Sanders, whose previous films include Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and Ghost in the Shell (2017). Those films were praised for their visuals and cinematography, and a staple of the original film was its breathtaking visual style. So there is much confidence to be had that the reboot will have a great eye for bringing it to life, which will, once again, give it a look to remember.
As for the screenplay, the film is written by Zach Baylin, who recently came off an Academy Award nomination for writing the script to King Richard (2021). Having an Oscar-nominated writer on the team isn’t too shabby either.
It Can Bring the Original Film, and Brandon Lee, Back Into the Mainstream Consciousness
While The Crow is a cult classic of cinema, let’s be honest, its popularity has slowly faded bit by bit since it’s been so long since it came out and made its impression. Especially among today’s audiences, such as Gen Z’ers and the like, the majority of whom have likely never heard of Brandon Lee or the film unless someone introduced it to them. It’s no longer steeped into the public consciousness as it once had been in the ’90s. So the reboot might actually breathe newfound interest in the franchise among people who see it and haven’t been too aware of the original film, and of course, its star. Who is to say that after the reboot comes out, we won’t see a surge of streams and rentals of the original and (maybe) its sequels? And boom! Brandon Lee will be introduced to brand-new moviegoers who may not have been familiar with him before.
The Crow may once again go through a phase of re-awakened popularity and discovery, even if temporary, complete with fascination, analysis, conversation, new costumes that Halloween, and fans, old and new, donning the famous makeup again… in short, Brandon Lee’s legacy can actually enjoy a mainstream “resurrection” of sorts, rather than debasement, precisely because of the reboot…and it will be a beautiful thing.
It Can Make Goth Cool Again
As previously mentioned, the Goth community has always been marginalized in cinema (and in real life too as a matter of fact). The Crow may be one of the few cinematic gems that the community can truly celebrate and appreciate. For that reason, the reboot can be eagerly anticipated to bring a spotlight to the subculture again, and if done properly, can revitalize interest in the world of Goth… as well as inspire people on the outside, especially ones who have generally regarded the community with suspicion and negative connotations, to take a deeper, more open-minded look into what the culture is all about.
It Has a Chance to Update Things About the Original, and Bring Another Awesome Soundtrack
Many things about The Crow are still stunning and need no modern updates, such as the cinematography, costumes, and makeup. But not everything. It was, after all, made in the early ’90s, which means that aspects of the film like the visual effects, which obviously didn’t reach Avengers-level sophistication yet, look very dated now. The action is also nothing to really brag about… as even though having the son of a legendary martial artist leading the film should prove otherwise, the way some of the action and stunts were done seems unimpressive and evidently constrained by the filming limitations that likely existed at that time. The reboot has a chance to improve on these qualities, as well as (hopefully) succeeding in having the great qualities of the original.
Another iconic part of the original film was its soundtrack. It contained a multitude of great tracks from Goth and Rock staples such as The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against The Machine, and Pantera, among others, some of which are still immensely popular today. The reboot has a chance to give us another amazing soundtrack…and give the opportunity to bring a few modern Goth/Rock bands into mainstream musical popularity, as the first one did.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
