Alex Proyas, the director of 1994’s The Crow, argues that the original film should have been left to stand alone out of respect ‘for Brandon Lee’s legacy’.
Remaking 1994’s The Crow was always going to be a particularly tricky proposition, and given the recent wave of criticism that has accompanied the release of first-look images and the trailer for the upcoming film, that is certainly proving to be the case.
Not only is the film a beloved mid-90s classic, but it also marks the final appearance of Brandon Lee, whose life was cut tragically short when an on-set sequence with a prop gun during the film’s production killed him at the age of just 28.
As such, the film holds a special significance for many, including its director Alex Proyas, who has repeatedly called for The Crow not to be remade over the last few years.
Given the project’s tortuous journey to the screen, it has seemed at several points over the past decade that his hopes may have been realised. But with director Rupert Sanders finally getting a version of the remake into production back in 2022, a new take on The Crow is now an inevitability.
That won’t stop Proyas, who’s continued to voice his opinions on the matter.
“I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work,” Proyas wrote on Facebook, as picked up by The Hollywood Reporter. “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 fan’s response speaks volumes.”
Proyas also linked to a piece explaining that The Crow reboot’s trailer had picked up plenty of dislikes on YouTube.
“The Crow is not just a movie,” he continued. “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.”
Alex Proyas previously called critics of his movie Gods Of Egypt 'diseased vultures', incidentally.
The original film spawned several sequels, none of which would be the equal of the first. Since the 1994 film, no movie has borne the same title, The Crow.
Whether this new film is a worthy successor to the original remains to be seen, but that’s the argument that Rupert Sanders has been making when talking about his remake’s connection to Brandon Lee’s legacy.
Ultimately, audiences will determine whether the film – which stars Bill Skarsgaard in the role popularised by Lee – will be a worthy tribute, but given the criticism that it’s endured thus far, it will be an uphill task.
The Crow releases in UK cinemas on 7th June.
