Alright guys, maybe it’s time to give this one up, eh?
In news that shouldn’t surprise literally anybody who follows this kind of thing, or this project in particular, the long, long-teased remake of The Crow is off. Again.
Last December, news broke that the film was finally moving forward with Jason Momoa of Game of Thrones and that ‘sup, brah!’ version of Aquaman from Justice League in the lead role.
Corin Hardy, who noted that he himself had waiting some three-and-a-half years to get involved with The Crow 2.0, was attached to direct.
There was even an official release date of 11 October 2019 in place.
Previously, the project had effectively become the mayor of development hell in Hollywood, with numerous attempts at a relaunch getting shot down, and the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Bradley Cooper, Luke Evans and Jack Huston all attached or rumoured to fill the late Brandon Lee’s shoes at various points.
This time seemed different, and yet… nope.
As reported by Deadline, both Momoa and Hardy formally withdrew from the reboot on Thursday morning, five weeks before shooting was set to commence in Budapest.
The pair have apparently cited “creative and financial differences” with Samuel Hadida, who was responsible for financing the film.
This follows reports that Sony looked set to drop the worldwide distribution rights.
So, it would appear that 1994 original director Alex Proyas has gotten his wish, having penned an open letter on Facebook last year called for The Crow to never be remade.
“THE CROW would not be a movie worth “remaking” if it wasn’t for Brandon Lee,” wrote Proyas.
“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.”
Well, we’ll always have the ’94 OG, which holds up quite well today, admittedly.
Clip via Movieclips Classic Trailers
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