Earlier this week Relativity Media and The Weinstein Company issued a press release to announce that they’d reached an out-of-court settlement over the legal dispute concerning the rights to The Crow and now comes word that the two studios are pushing on with their plans to reboot the series. According to Deadline, scriptwriter Jesse Wigutow (It Runs in the Family) has signed on to tackle the screenplay, while Variety are also reporting that F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) will handle directing duties.
Based upon James O’Barr’s underground comic book series, The Crow first came to the screen in 1994 under director Alex Proyas, with the film becoming notable for the accidental death of star Brandon Lee on set. Following the success of the first movie, The Crow then spawned three sequels – The Crow: City of Angels (with Vincent Pérez), The Crow: Salvation (with Eric Mabius) and The Crow: Wicked Prayer (with Edward Furlong) – along with the television series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, featuring Mark Dacascos.
Rumours of a remake first surfaced in 2008 when it was reported that director Stephen Norrington (Blade, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman) planned to oversee a new take on the story. After Relativity Media acquired the rights, 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was brought on board last year, with The Hangover star Bradley Cooper then signing on for the title role before the project hit the rocks.
Given that, outside of the original movie, The Crow franchise hasn’t really set the world alight, is there really anyone out there who wants to see another?
Originally published January 25, 2012. Updated April 10, 2018.
