The Crow Reboot Acquired by Lionsgate, Expected to Release in 2024
The movie, which has been in development for years, was directed by 'Snow White and the Huntsman' filmmaker Rupert Sanders.
Lionsgate has acquired the upcoming reboot of The Crow, and the movie is expected to see release next year. An adaptation of the James O'Barr indie comic of the same name, The Crow has been one of the most troubled productions in recent memory, trading off directors, stars, and even studios numerous times over the life of its development and production. The movie stars Skarsgård (It), singer-songwriter FKA twigs (Honeyboy) and Danny Huston (Succession) and is reportedly a full restart of the franchise, meaning that it's likely adapting (at least loosely) the same set of comics as the first The Crow movie, which was released in 1994.
Deadline, who first reported the Lionsgate acquisition, says the movie also stars Laura Birn (Foundation), Sami Bouajila (A Son), and Jordan Bolger (The Woman King). The movie (and the comic it's based on) center on Eric Draven, a man who returns from the dead to avenge the deaths of himself and his fiancee.
"We appreciate what the Crow character and original movie mean to legions of fans and believe this new film will offer audiences an authentic and visceral reinterpretation of its emotional power and mythology," said Lionsgate's EVP Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Charlotte Koh, in a statement to Deadline. "To work with a creative team led by Rupert's unparalleled visual style and storytelling and with a producing team who have made some of the most popular and impactful films of the last several decades is a true privilege."
"The original film left an indelible mark on our culture that lives on," said the films' producers in a joint statement. "We are thrilled to bring a new adaptation for today's audiences that respects this legacy. Rupert has masterfully brought new dimensions to create a contemporary universe for this timeless saga of undying love, and we can't wait to share this vision with film audiences."
"It's still very much a live property," James O'Barr during a 2015 panel hosted by ComicBook.com, shortly after one of the times the production fell apart. "The company, Pressman Films, that owns The Crow film and TV rights, licensed it to a studio named Relativity. And Relativity made like a hundred bad movies and lost money so now they're in financial trouble. So the producers are just going to take it to another studio if Relativity can't get backing again. It's going to happen. I talked to Pressman Films a couple of weeks ago and they said within two or three weeks, we should have it placed at a new studio. Because the day Relativity announced that they were having financial problems, there were like a dozen other studios that called about getting The Crow property. it definitely will happen."
Brandon Lee, the son of Hollywood icon Bruce Lee, starred in the original The Crow movie, and was tragically killed on set of the film when a prop gun misfired. Subsequent films went direct to video and starred Vincent Pérez, Eric Mabius, and Ed Furlong in the title role. As in the comics, the actors have played various different iterations of The Crow, with Eric Draven being one of three. Mark Dascascos took on the role in a TV adaptation, titled The Crow: Stairway to Heaven.
The Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders (Foundation, Ghost in the Shell, Snow White and The Huntsman) and written by Zach Baylin (King Richard, upcoming Creed III). Producers are Molly Hassell (Braven, Terminal), Victor Hadida (Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises), John Jencks (Honest Thief, Guns Akimbo), and Edward R. Pressman (American Psycho, The Crow, Wall Street).