Original director of The Crow says reboot shouldn't exist after Brandon Lee died making first
The Crow director Alex Proyas has spoken out against the upcoming remake of the movie after the first trailer for the Bill Skarsgård reboot dropped.
The American comic book film written by David J. Schow and John Shirley and directed by Proyas was released in 1994.
Tragedy struck during filming when the star of the movie, 28-year-old actor and martial artist Brandon Lee - son of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee - was injured on set.
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During the filming of a scene for the movie, Lee was hit by a bullet fragment which had stayed in the barrel of a prop handgun. He ended up rupturing a major blood vessel and passed away during surgery.
The film subsequently acted as his last starring role and Proyas has previously spoken out on Facebook about why The Crow 'should not be remade'.
He took to his platform in December 2017, reflecting on the movie as Lee's 'lasting legacy,' arguing it would 'not be a movie worth remaking if it wasn't for' the actor.
He said: "If it wasn’t for Brandon you may never have even heard of this poignant little underground comic. It is Brandon’s movie.
"I believe it is a special case where Hollywood should just let it remain a testament to a man’s immense talent and ultimate sacrifice - and not have others re-write that story or add to it.
"I know sequels were made, and TV shows, and what have you, but the notion of 'rebooting' this story, and the original character - a character Brandon gave life to at too high a cost - seems wrong to me.
"Please let this remain Brandon’s film."
Despite Proyas' view, the film has since gone on to be remade, expected to release later this year.
Acting as a reboot and remake of the 1994 film, The Crow (2024) will be the fifth instalment in the series and stars Skarsgård and FKA Twigs.
The official trailer was released last week and in a restricted post to Facebook Proyas reflected on some of the reviews he's seen in response to the trailer, linking out to a CBR.com article about it getting a 'staggering amount of dislikes on YouTube'.
His post reads, as quoted by IGN: "I really don't get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work.
"And I'm certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film. So it pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fans' response speaks volumes.
"THE CROW is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That's how it should remain."
Director of the remake Rupert Sanders told Vanity Fair earlier this year they 'definitely' kept the 'terrible tragedy' that occurred with Lee on the first film 'in mind through the making' of the remake.
He said: "Brandon was an original voice and I think he will always be synonymous with The Crow and I hope he’s proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve brought the story back again.
"His soul is very much alive in this film. There’s a real fragility and beauty to his version of the Crow, and I think Bill feels like he is a successor to that."
UNILAD has contacted Lionsgate and Rupert Sanders' representatives for comment.
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Poppy Bilderbeck