7 Reasons To Be Optimistic For The Crow’s Remake, Despite The Backlash

Summary

• The Crow (2024) is not a mere remake; it cleverly adapts and modernizes the original story for a new audience.

• Bill Skarsgård’s unique talent brings a surreal quality to the undead avenger, making him perfect for the role.

• Blending dark, twisted superhero elements with action-packed scenes promises a fresh and exciting cinematic experience.

The Crow is an iconic movie from 1994, but that status has dampened excitement for the upcoming remake, which has a chance to overcome the backlash currently slating it. The original movie, directed by Alex Proyas, and starring the late Brandon Lee, became a cult classic after its release. The story is adapted from an independent comic book series by James O’Barr, about a man who is brought back from the dead in order to reap vengeance on the people who killed him and his girlfriend. The 1994 movie was one of just a few projects starring Brandon Lee.

However, Brandon Lee was in the middle of recording a film when he was tragically killed. The Crow was in fact the film that he was recording when a mistake with a round of blank bullets resulted in a fatal incident. However, despite the tragedy surrounding the project, the movie was released after Lee’s death, and, for many, it serves as a legacy to him. However, the story is one that is well worth exploring, and can continue to remain Lee’s legacy, while being honored with a new reboot that will draw more attention to the original and its star.

7 The Crow (2024) Isn’t Just Remaking The Original Movie

The original The Crow movie had a very clear and distinct style that made it a faithful and dark adaptation of the comic books. Its charm existed within the gothic and grim aesthetic that was pervasive throughout the entire film. However, adaptations are not always about taking a story as it is, and trying to replicate it in a new medium. Some of the best adaptations that exist rely on the foundation of the source material, but they adapt and change to better fit the new medium it appears in.

While the changes could be upsetting or frustrating to existing fans of the franchise, rehashing the exact same story and doing it less well would be an even greater disappointment. By taking the material, using the core ideas, and bringing it into a modern audience and setting, 2024’s The Crow has a far better chance of resonating with audiences today. In addition, it is not going to be stale, or repetitive, as some blatant remakes can be, where many of the words and story beats are repeated verbatim.

6 Bill Skarsgård Is Almost Always Great In His Movies

One thing that the new The Crow movie absolutely has in its favor is the leading man, Bill Skarsgård​​​​​. Skarsgård is an extraordinarily talented young actor from a family that excels in the industry. Despite his young age, Skarsgård has had some incredible roles, such as playing Pennywise in Itand Marquis in the John Wick franchise. Skarsgård has a unique look, and the ability to tackle very different characters that feel supernatural, which will be an asset that comes in very helpful for the upcoming The Crow film.

Being cast as the undead avenger, Eric Draven, Skarsgård is exactly the kind of person who has proven his ability to appear and act in an otherworldly fashion that can imbue the character with a sense of surrealism. In addition, he is proving to be an outstanding action hero, and explores different emotions and perspectives through varied and diverse characters that he plays. Skarsgård is the perfect person to tackle this role, and will likely be able to make it into his own despite the considerable legacy that is attached to the character.

5 Twisted Superhero Stories Are In Right Now

While talk of superhero fatigue is at an all-time high, twisted and dark superhero stories are still managing to earn big at the box office. From Jokerto The Batmanand other well-defined dark hero movies, audiences are responding positively. In addition, this type of story is also performing incredibly well on streaming right now, with shows like The Boys and its spin-off Gen V pulling in high numbers (via Collider). There is clearly an appeal that is attached to subverting the typical expectations that exist within normal superhero movies.

Even if audiences are getting tired of generic hero stories, or movies where good always triumphs over evil, these darker narratives are still drawing audiences in. The Crow is not a typical hero story, and it begins with the hero losing everything in the worst way possible. From there, things can get dark and twisted as the resurrected hero tracks down his killers, and deals out his own brand of justice and vengeance. This is exactly the type of dark and gritty superhero story that people are responding to right now.

4 It’s Unapologetic In Telling A New Story

While The Crow was first released in 1994, and the 2024 film will be the first remake of that original story, there have been multiple sequels that failed to carry on the legacy. The sequels to The Crow were poorly received, and failed to generate any significant interest or praise for the story of The Crow. While many people may believe that the story should be laid to rest with Brandon Lee, who lost his life in the process of making it, that is not how stories and fictional characters work.

Of course, Lee did an outstanding job, and nothing can or should diminish that. However, the story by O’Barr, and the depth of emotion and resonance it can have when brought to a wider audience should not be brushed aside. The show must go on, and in telling a similar story, around the same fictional characters, but with a new approach, 2024’s The Crow is in a better position to do that than anything else that came before. Altogether, it makes for something new, clever, and innovative, because the story is required to change with the times and avoid repetition.

3 The Trailer Promises Action

Another genre of film that appears to be making a major comeback is the classic action story. In the 80s and 90s, action movies were at the height of their popularity, and the people who starred in them were the biggest names and most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Over the last few decades, cinema has changed, and the interests of the audience have gone through different phases. However, it appears that action is firmly back, with popular franchises like John Wick, Jack Reacherand the Creed franchise all becoming significant hits.

The market may be dominated by superhero movies and expansive franchises, but action movies appeal no matter what. With this in mind, The Crow trailer contained a lot of action. From Eric Draven getting into gunfights, to brutal hand-to-hand combat, the movie looks to contain a healthy amount of action scenes to keep audiences satisfied. When it comes to action movies, it is not always about the overall quality of the story, but sometimes, how fun and engaging it was is a big factor, and The Crow appears to at least promise fun and excitement.

2 Danny Huston Is Playing The Villain

Danny Huston is a seasoned veteran when it comes to acting, having appeared in close to 90 different projects, and with a thriving career over the last 30 years. In several different films, Huston has tackled a variety of roles, but some of his very best came from Huston unleashing his darker side and playing the antagonist, such as playing Stryker in the the X-Men Origins movies. Huston has a flare for being the villain and putting heroes into impossible situations while he maintains a nice guy appearance, with a manipulative and monstrous streak.

Huston is set to appear in The Crowbut his role has yet to be defined. In the trailer, it is clear that Eric Draven is hunting him and his people down, which clearly suggests he is a criminal who was involved in the brutal death of Draven and his girlfriend. Tackling a role as some sort of crime boss who hopes to weasel his way out of the consequences of his mindless brutality appears to be a perfect role for Huston, and the film should be all the better for it.

1 It Appears To Blend Genres

Another popular trend in Hollywood right now is blending and defying genres. While genres used to exist as a way to neatly categorize films and find pictures that may fall into a general category of interest, modern films often aim to transcend and blend genres. This tends to pay off in creating movies that appeal to a wider audience, and creating a greater sense of identity and nuance for a film rather than being easily filed away under one overarching theme or principal. Genre blending is a positive way of making a movie more than the sum of its parts.

The Crow weaves together elements of fantasy, the supernatural, crime, action, drama, and even horror. This could appear complicated and convoluted, but the fact is that most things are not easily filed away under one specific “genre.” Whether it’s a major life event or a typical day, the average life weaves between genres, and people navigate those with relative ease. Having a film explore more than one genre is not condemning it to being a confusing muddle, but reflecting reality in a more authentic way. And ultimately, 2024’s The Crow will be all the better for it.