
Will’ The Crow’ ever fly again? The long-rumored, long-stalled reboot of the ’90s franchise remains a mystery. Here’s what we know about ‘The Crow Reborn.’
The Crow Reborn is both dead and not dead. The reboot of the 90s franchise has been in development hell for years, but all seemed hopeful when Jason Momoa and director Corin Hardy were attached to the project. However, both have flown the coop, leaving the Crow reboot’s fate a mystery.
For those unaware, every one of The Crow movies is based on a similar theme: someone is usually murdered in a cruel way. Then, a mystical crow resurrects them while granting this new revenant magical powers to aid in their quest for justice. There is often a romantic element to the story – avenging lover, etc. – which adds even more of a tragic element to the story. In the films, the character of The Crow has always been a male, but in both the comics and the television show, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, there have been female Crows.
The Crow first arrived not on the big screen, but on the comic bookshelves, in 1989. The first issue of James O’Barr’s dark underground comic was adapted to the big screen by writers David J. Schow and John Shirley and directed by Alex Proyas. A young Brandon Lee was cast in the lead role of Eric Draven/The Crow. Sadly, an on-set accident with a handgun resulted in Brandon’s death, casting a grim shadow over the movie. The Crow was a sleeper hit at the box office, grossing $94 million worldwide. The film and its soundtrack – featuring The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Rollins Band, Helmet, and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – had a profound effect on alternative/goth culture.
The second film, The Crow: City of Angels, arrived in 1996. Directed by Tim Pope, City of Angels cast Vincent Pérez as Ashe Corven/The Crow and featured Iggy Pop and Deftones (as themselves.) It was less successful than the first, pulling $17.9 million domestic (on a reported $13 million budget) per Box Office Mojo. Despite these diminishing returns, a third movie – The Crow: Salvation – was released in 2000. This direct-to-video sequel has Eric Maibus as Alex Corvis/The Crow, and it features Kirsten Dunst as Erin Randall. It was met with a poor reception and a minimal theatrical run. The same can be said for the fourth (and currently, the last?) Crow film, 2005’s The Crow: Wicked Prayer. This time around, Edward Furlong is Jimmy Cuervo/The Crow. It also featured Tara Reid, Dennis Hopper, Danny Trejo, and David Boreanaz. Again, it was a poorly received project.