Throughout April, we’re counting down to the release of Marvel’s Iron Man 3 with our picks for the Greatest Comic Book Movies of All Time; here’s #24…
The Crow, 1994.
Directed by Alex Proyas.
Starring Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Levine, David Patrick Kelly, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee and Angel David.
Based upon James O’Barr’s cult underground series, originally published by Caliber Comics in 1989, The Crow stars Brandon Lee as Eric Draven, a musician brought back from the dead to avenge his and his fiancée’s murder at the hands of a gang of local thugs.
Tragically, The Crow would prove to be Lee’s final movie, the actor dying after sustaining an accidental gunshot wound on set during the filming of a stunt sequence. More than a year after Lee’s death, The Crow arrived in cinemas and was a world-wide box office success, pulling in over $144 million from a budget of just $23 million.
The Crow spawned three sub-standard sequels, The Crow: City of Angels (1996), The Crow: Salvation (2000) and The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005), as well as the 1998 TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven starring Mark Dacascos as Eric Draven. A remake has been in development since 2008, with the likes of Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling and James McAvoy all linked to the lead role and Francisco Javier Gutiérrez currently occupying the director’s chair.
Keep up to date with our entire countdown here.
Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen – Available now via Amazon.co.uk
Originally published April 2, 2013. Updated November 7, 2019.
