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The Crow Relaunch Moves Forward

Yes, thats the latest "Re" we can call this one. io9 caught up with producer Ryan Kavanaugh and got an update on casting, story and the look of this latest incarnation of The Crow, which will be penned and directed by Stephen Norrington...
i09..I heard The Crow script received great reviews, where is it at now?

Kavanaugh...The script is great. We're very excited about it. The Crow is definitely going to happen, we're just getting all the pieces together right now. It's not officially greenlit, but it's going to happen... I think in a couple months we could have the package together for sure.

Any casting ideas?

Can't talk about that yet, but we've got good ideas.

Are you casting right now and looking?

We're looking. We're in discussions....I think it's something cool, we're approaching it differently. It's really a whole relaunch of the franchise, much more of a dark superhero type.

Will it be a well known actor, or someone we've never heard of before?

It will be an actor you've heard of, yes. We're not ruling anything out. We're looking at both, with the very well known and the "very talented but they may not be quite there yet."

A lot of people were worried that it would be the original, but we know The Crow character can inhabit different people...

It's not a remake it's literally a relaunch of the franchise.

But will he have the same makeup?

No, totally different... He'll have makeup, but it will be different. The best way to compare it is the first Batman and Batman Begins In terms of their look and feel and character.

I'm excited to see the world and how you build it. Will it still be dark and gritty?

Oh yeah, we're sticking to the flavor of it. We're just relaunching it and making it with a much more present day character, someone more relatable to everybody.

And the script is totally finished?

Yeah we're still tweaking it, but it's finished.

Rorschach01...I know this is a controversial one. Many fans of the excellent Brandon Lee original are pretty solidly against this. But, since its not dealing with the same character of Eric Draven, I'm willing to see what these guys come up with.

3 Yes
6 No
RorMachine
11/23/2009
io9.com

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74 Comments

I'm all for Norington on this! The first Blade's "feel" would be ideal for a relaunch. I just hope it will be a good film concidering all the shitty sequels the first Brandon Lee cult classic had. They were talking to Luke Goss for the role and he would be awesome to see! Paul Betany would be as well. But if they were to use Eric Draven again, Stuart Townsend would be my choice.

Here's a sketch i did of Brandon as Eric, last year. The Michael Jackson nose was not intended LOL :P











Shaman - 11/23/2009, 11:48 AM
This movie sounds like its going to be AMAZING!! A well known actor and a dark direction is the best way to go.

I'm pumped to see what the new look will be like, the Batman comparison sounds cool.

@SHAMAN-Stewart Townsend is a good pick
BatmanKnight - 11/23/2009, 11:55 AM
BatmanKnight- Yeah, i'm wondering that too. I don't want them to change it just for kicks though. That might make it look cheesy.
Shaman - 11/23/2009, 11:58 AM
sounds like there going in and doing another sequel(eye roll) the original story is the only one that works. it must be about a man who is in love and has it all taken away in an instant and returns from the dead to exact vengence. i say do a sin city treatment and adapt the graphic novel. lighten up on the dark poetry therein and do it like that.
pookrum - 11/23/2009, 11:59 AM
they'll probably do a "twilight" version tho..."Oh yeah, we're sticking to the flavor of it. We're just relaunching it and making it with a much more present day character, someone more relatable to everybody."

sounds sucky...
pookrum - 11/23/2009, 12:02 PM
Since it's not Eric Draven, I'm okay with it as long as it's better than the bazillion of others, and the tv show that all sucked balls.
Tobuttica - 11/23/2009, 12:05 PM
in my opinion I think its a great idea... now for the reluanch/boot/make thing that sucks but I am only for this movie if they use one of the actual crow stories form the comics as source material.... If not it will be a horrible movie and I will hate like all the other sequels...
I want them to use the Dead time Novel....
Eddy Spears as Joshua
kunyahk - 11/23/2009, 12:06 PM
that poster is 'iffy' up there - the red one. I mean...Brandon was sh0t dead during the making of this movie. lol...and that poster has bullet holes all up in him.....

the first movie is so awesome, it's tough to watch that mother though knowing he d!ed during the making...fcuk that's awful - I can't even imagine to this day how everyone feels - especially the dude who sh0t him with the faulty gu.n - whoever rigged that sh!t should be in jail.

as for this reboot? fcuk it. bring it on. just call it something other than just 'The Crow'.
Keven - 11/23/2009, 12:06 PM
Yeah, wasn't crazy about that part either. "Relatable to everybody" usually means "catering for the idiots".

Shaman, I despise Townsend, but he would look the part. Nicest thing I can say about the man! Also, Blade was great, but LOEG was beyond awful. Lets hope redemption is on the cards.
RorMachine - 11/23/2009, 12:07 PM
Kev- LOL yeah, good point about that poster :P

Ror- Well since i know how much you hate the guy LOL It's pretty big of you to say so ;) And YES, i totally agree that he should stray the [frick] away as far as possible from the piece of shit LOEG he did. Just go back to your Blade days and everything'll be alright, Stevie!
Shaman - 11/23/2009, 12:14 PM
Great drawing Shaman :P

I love the Crow and would love a new one to get the fowl taste of the sequels out of my mouth :)



teabag - 11/23/2009, 12:18 PM
First one was the only good thing from the whole franchise, hope this doesn't follow suit.
antz1104 - 11/23/2009, 12:23 PM
Even if it was Eric Draven it's still not a bad thing. I'd love to see a new Crow film, a great story has to be told.
Ryden - 11/23/2009, 12:32 PM
On a totally different subject, any Nic Cave fans check this out. Its the title track from The Road soundtrack..

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Road by MuteUSA
RorMachine - 11/23/2009, 12:32 PM
Boatman's Call ftw

Anyway... I could only get behind a reboot if it was more like the comic with an invisible all knowing Crow that talks to him al the time and constantly tries to talk him out of all his self torture.

Draven needs to have his one pale eye and that ripped version of Daniel Ash look. They should really use the music and lyrics from the book also and have a non cheesy narrator or maybe Draven's voice reading the selections of lyrics and poems that are in the book on certian pages.
DarthMulder - 11/23/2009, 12:46 PM
The Crow Temple of Night would make an awesome movie! Although an original movie idea will be great.


Ultrapilotray - 11/23/2009, 12:53 PM
i would take a sequel but not a reboot. how about one during the civil war.


grif - 11/23/2009, 1:21 PM
Grif- Is that where Brandon tells Dolph how impressed he is of his huge penis after Dolph clogged Tia Carrere???

CLASSIC!!! :))
Shaman - 11/23/2009, 1:25 PM
After all of the crappy films and horrid television show, I'm not all that geared up for another "fresh take". Bringing it closer to the source than the first film would be the best way to go. Otherwise it just looks like one is trying to jump start a dead pig of an idea of further deviating from the first film.

When I get some solid news about casting and who else is involved I may warm up to it (if it's positive) but right now, it just sounds retarded.

I can't help but picture some emo pussy like the so called "metal band" in Jennifer's Body as the new Crow.
WeaponX - 11/23/2009, 1:30 PM
this makes me nervouse and exiceted at the same time
can anyone compare to brandon lee? and those sequals
were junk!

I really hope they do this movie justice..
it deserves it!

pookrum- I'm with you!!
peterparker420 - 11/23/2009, 1:31 PM
Good points WeaponX. Can't wait for casting news!
Shaman - 11/23/2009, 1:40 PM
seriously though - that poster is like a big - "GUESS WHICH ONE OF THESE FAULTY GUNS K!LLED OUR LEAD ACTOR?"

jesus. lol.....and then...when you watch the movie he gets shot in multiple scenes - why am I so angry at the poster? fcuk me.
Keven - 11/23/2009, 1:41 PM
Sometimes...just sometimes...they make a good relaunch. I hope this is one of them.
Nemesys - 11/23/2009, 1:47 PM
lol @ Nemesys: I see what you did there
DarthMulder - 11/23/2009, 1:53 PM
@Ror, I realy like that! I'm pretty pissed off about the release date over here though!
TheAnswer - 11/23/2009, 1:53 PM
I hope he fights vampires. Johnny Depp for the crow.
Betty - 11/23/2009, 2:20 PM
This movie is totally unnecessary!
There's no one who can replace Brandon!
The first crow was too perfect to
warrant a reboot! They have yet to
make anything that comes anywhere near
the first movie for quality and
atmosphere! This reboot just makes me
ask WHY?
DDD - 11/23/2009, 2:26 PM
DDD- VERY,VERY GOOD CALL!
peterparker420 - 11/23/2009, 3:09 PM
i am sick of people saying nobody can replace brandon. look guys. there is more than one crow. he only played one of them.
grif - 11/23/2009, 3:21 PM
I'm sort of looking forward to this, but I wish that they kept the Eric Draven character. I hope that they really do this justice, because The Crow is one of my favorite movies.
Bandrews1 - 11/23/2009, 3:27 PM
The biggest concern I have is the makeup.
"No, totally different... He'll have makeup, but it will be different"
The Crow taking his makeup from the comedy/tragedy masks is a signature part of the character. That combined with making the character more relatable to everyone is disconcerting...
hescian - 11/23/2009, 3:44 PM
I don't see why they don't use a female Crow. Still give it that dark moody feel with a little "Kill Bill" viciousness that Uma Thurman encompassed. I think Katie Sackenhoff would make a great female Crow. She seems to have that badass/craziness that is the Crow.

So who would make a great female Crow if they went that route?
jmg134 - 11/23/2009, 4:10 PM
well, from the sounds of it, it isn't eric draven, so it won't be necessarily a remake in the same sense of the word. none of the crow stories follow the same character. if they were remaking the original movie, that would be one thing, but this sounds like it could be taken as a sequel.

and grif is right, they aren't replacing brandon lee since its a totally different character they're using
CorndogBurglar - 11/23/2009, 4:11 PM
and this makes me wonder what the makeup will be like, he said it will be different. which is weird, since the makeup is the one consistency in all verisons of the crow.

watch it look like bozo the clown, lol
CorndogBurglar - 11/23/2009, 4:38 PM
OK NOW IM OK WITH THIS, I WAS JUST WORRIED THEY WOULD BE STEALING THE THUNDER BRANDON LEE LEFT TO US AS HIS FINAL PERFORMANCE...BUT A RELAUNCH IS COOL, AS LONG AS ITS SEPERATE FROM THE ORIGINAL..I WONDER HOW THEY WILL REWORK THE MAKE UP..ITS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING OF HIS MEMORIES THAT TRIGGERS HIM TO USE THE MAKEUP..THEN ALL THE OTHER MOVIES STARTED FOLLOWING SUIT..THE ONLY TRUE CROW MOVIE FOR ME IS BRANDON LEE'S..BUT, IF YOU READ THE COMIC IT IS DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS BUT STILL KEEPING THE SAME TONE..I WANNA SEE WHAT THEY DO
GUNSMITH - 11/23/2009, 5:16 PM
I remember back in the day they where talking about doing a version of the Crow with Eminem playing a slained rapper who becomes the Crow. I think I read DMX was supposed to be his nemesis. I know some of you will say he'll no, but I love the idea of Em being the Crow in a rap version. Waits for tomatoes.
IsaiahBradley - 11/23/2009, 5:20 PM
I remember back in the day they where talking about doing a version of the Crow with Eminem playing a slained rapper who becomes the Crow. I think I read DMX was supposed to be his nemesis. I know some of you will say he'll no, but I love the idea of Em being the Crow in a rap version. Waits for tomatoes.
IsaiahBradley - 11/23/2009, 5:23 PM
Brandon forever! God rest his soul.
ASSASSIN666 - 11/23/2009, 6:58 PM
Awesome news!!!

As long as its a different CROW im cool with it!!
LEEE777 - 11/23/2009, 7:19 PM
I know I’m in the minority here, and I have droned on and on in these Crow relaunch rooms about how the Crow was what pulled me into comics in the late 80’s and I am speaking of the comic not the movie. I’ve voiced my love of the film and expressed that because it bore nearly no resemblance to the original comic series that I would very much like to see Norrington’s version.

I always hoped he would make the comic because the vast differences in that story vs. the Lee movie would bring on a whole new experience and I was jazzed. Now I’m still happy to hear this, but sad that a loyal version of James O’Barr’s original Crow is still nowhere to be seen. So my excitement level is still way up there for this, but this knocks it a bit, because this sounds as if it’s just another link in the sequel chain for the Crow, at least this one will have some decent direction and casting, I hope.

nerosday - 11/23/2009, 9:08 PM
I wanted a Movie even more like the Graphic Novel, has been my favorite graphic novels for going on 10 years... But this sounds like it'll be even less... lame. I want Joseph Gordon Levitt as the Crow, even though I'd be the only person happy with that casting.
kylemf88 - 11/23/2009, 10:54 PM
Huge Nic Cave fan... (at first i thought it said Nic Cage lol) fan of his also....

Song is so subtle...
I have to look up the release date.
vonstallin - 11/24/2009, 6:47 AM
where can I find this song for download...pay or free...
I have to have it and cant find it on Itunes....

I get the road muxed up with the book of Eli sometimes when I hear about it.


vonstallin - 11/24/2009, 7:17 AM
@Isiah That crow u were talking about was The Crow: Lazarus..., and DMX was supposed to star in it.. actually he was supposed to play the Lazarus character twice in to seperate crow films but they were canned for Edward furlongs wicked prayer
kunyahk - 11/24/2009, 7:34 AM
Tom Hardy or Christian Bale would be cool. Or Johnny Depp!
AlexDeLarge666 - 11/24/2009, 7:40 AM
@ neroesday: I am glad you like the original book man. Me too, which is why I really really don't understand why no one ever wants to make a Crow movie more like the book. It would be great!

You dudes just don't know about the sheer IMPACT of that book and everybody that was reading it when they first published the Trade Paperback. Not just with Goths, but with everybody. It especially resonated with people who had lost someone they loved. It sort of reignited a long lost "right to greive". In a world where everyone tells you shit like "everything's ok" (but it's not) and " be grateful for the time you had with them" (lol) here was something that seemed to make it alright to feel your feelings even if they were really really bad.

In maybe about 1992 it was so popular that people started mimicking the chracter's clothes and hair, and referencing the books all the time in essays for school and in conversation. There was a colloquialism that came out of all of that.. People at my school used to exclaim well HOLY CROW all the time. And then I asked someone why they said it and they said it was because The Crow comic was sacred to him. I still say that to this very day
DarthMulder - 11/24/2009, 7:46 AM
kylemf88- Actually... Levitt would be a bit stale for a reboot of Draven's story IMO, BUT he could be IDEAL for a different Crow story! I wouldn't mind that at all :))
Shaman - 11/24/2009, 7:50 AM
The Crow sequels/remakes are cursed. Go ahead and waste your money.
satanors - 11/24/2009, 7:53 AM
Fire it UP.. Fire it Up.
satanors - 11/24/2009, 7:55 AM
FIRE IT UP!!! FIRE IT UP!! @satanors

kunyahk - 11/24/2009, 8:40 AM
I just hope they don't go the Twilight route with the movie and cast someone like Robert Pattinson
mel - 11/24/2009, 10:09 AM
The Crow is too 90's. Let sleeping dogs lay. Besdies, has anyone watched the original Crow lately? It suffers from what I like to call Ace Venture Syndrome. It was super cool when you were 11 but now it's just lame.
harrisonefreeman - 11/24/2009, 10:18 AM
If Pattinson ever comes anywhere near the set of Norington's Crow, i'll boycott it!!!
Shaman - 11/24/2009, 10:18 AM
damn...They shouldnt relaunch...They should reMAKE.
That first movie was awful! Brandon Lee couldnt act for shit! The graphic novel was great, and they made the movie into a generic revenge flick that was waaay too similar to the Wraith. We need a movie that is more like the comics.
DeathBringer1983 - 11/24/2009, 10:50 AM
@mel: Please do not speak of the horror please!
SHHH - 11/24/2009, 10:52 AM
and...I like City of Angels better. The ending was lazy as shit. But at least it kept the atmosphere of the comics. AND the bad guys were cooler.
DeathBringer1983 - 11/24/2009, 10:53 AM
harrisonefreeman- Hey! You no like Ace Ventura no more?! Awwww!
Betty - 11/24/2009, 11:00 AM
Michael Wincott was bad ass!!! IMO, he MADE that film!!! Brandon was great but without Michael to square off, the film would have only been half as good. City of Angels had a correct "feel" to it but the plot lacked and Vincent Perez sucked ass.

harrisonefreeman- IMO, certain classics such as Brandon Lee's Crow and Burton's Bat-films never get old or lame. I still love them to this day because they are still brilliant. It has nothing to do with nostalgia. If they came out today, i'd still love them as much as i did in the 90ies.
Shaman - 11/24/2009, 11:17 AM
hmm...dunno how i feel about this. The original is a classic. Why the need to relaunch it? And why does he think its not relate-able? Hmm. Seriously tho...is every movie gonna be a reboot/twilight movie? Leave the crow alone. The sequels that followed ought to be a warning.
MsKyle08 - 11/24/2009, 11:55 AM
This may seem redundant coming from me, but the follow up Crow COMICS weren't half bad. There was DEFINITELY movie worthy material there.

Why not make a movie about one of them? For instance Dead Time featured a super strong Native American dude going after the modern ancestors of Old West maurauders that killed his family.

Then there's Flesh and Blood in which the Crow was a girl who was pregnant when she died. And when she came back she painted this awesome black crow image on her face and went after the bastards responsible. It was the weakest of the comics I think but still I love the idea of a femal Crow. Don't you?
Maybe MsKyle could play her ;)

Or the crazy Waking Nightmares in which a Cop gets blown away and his two little girls are sold into child prostitution. I only read two issues but that would have been so much better than City of angels or all the jive that was on TV IMO


DarthMulder - 11/24/2009, 1:38 PM
City of Angels though not perfect wasnt THAT bad.
The director's cut was pretty good until the very end.
The studios chopped that movie to shit.
I'm sure if the story had been kept intact, it could have been an amazing movie.
I cant stand the first movie. I LOVED when I was in HS, but now I look back and wonder how anyone could have seen it as anything more than a generic revenge flick.
DeathBringer1983 - 11/24/2009, 2:29 PM
whats wrong with a generic revenge flick? "i spit on your grave"
MsKyle08 - 11/24/2009, 2:35 PM
Marvell...send me the script when you are done ;)
MsKyle08 - 11/24/2009, 2:37 PM
Dunno bout you but i was all about Cynthia Rothrock growing up. All those China O'Brien movies...the violence...whats not to love?
MsKyle08 - 11/24/2009, 2:39 PM
Generic revenge flicks get old after a while.
I also hate that the lil goth turds see Lee as this dark prince. The man was a horrible actor! It sucks he died...but come ON! I feel kinda sorry for him. His face has been slapped on so much gARbage.
DeathBringer1983 - 11/24/2009, 2:49 PM
@ MsKyle: Have you actually seen "I spit On Your grave?"

BTW... I am the CBM user formally known as DarthMulder, just FYI
DarthMulder - 11/24/2009, 3:08 PM
yeah why?
sup with the name change?
MsKyle08 - 11/24/2009, 3:09 PM
man that's ... hard core. I mean that's movie is really fringe definitely. Not a lot of movie lovers have seen that one. Do you watch a lot of ultra violent movies?

Mainly I just don't want to be thought of a Sith Lord. I'm a good guy.

Captain Marvel is kind of an unloved forgotten hero that could easily be considered esoteric Marvel, and if there's anything I know well it's esoteric Marvel trivia and minutia.
lol, and also I just get bored with the same old thing sometimes and feel like a change.
DarthMulder - 11/24/2009, 3:28 PM
not ultra violent. i don't like anything with zombies in it funny enough.
MsKyle08 - 11/24/2009, 3:31 PM
DeathBringer1983- I will agree with you that Brandon was never the best of actors but he was decent in Rapid Fire and almost good in Showdown in little Tokyo. But his best performance was indeed in The Crow. Not because he died doing it but cause i really liked his performance! But like i said, if it wasn't for Michael Wincott playing Top Dollar, the movie would have been half as good and i wouldn't be mentionning it today as one of my all time faves.
Shaman - 11/25/2009, 7:09 AM
Dude...the movie is TERRIBLE! The original comics bad guys were interesting. The movie stripped them of any actual personality and made them stupid flunkies.
and come on man....falling off a building and getting impaled? thats so cliched. Showdown in Little Tokyo was his best role. and gayest role. The Crow being his best movie would not be saying much for his career.

oh, and I Spit on Your Grave is not ultra violent.
It was an ok movie.
DeathBringer1983 - 11/25/2009, 12:04 PM
Saying that the villains in the movie weren't similar to the comics is one thing but to say that they had no personality is flat out lying to yourself. Every single villain role was different in it's own and very well performed. You may have prefered the villains in the comics but it doesn't take anything away from the ones in the movie. Is it a bad adaptation? Yes. Is it a bad movie, hell no. That fall scene where he gets impaled wasn't cliché back then. It fit the ending nicely. People in the film industry pass away all the time and the most they get is a mention at the end of the film. Films don't become Cult Classics on account of one single death. Had Brandon not die, the film would have still been a cult classic and would have warranted a better sequel. It was a great film but to each's own.
Shaman - 11/25/2009, 12:37 PM
I like the sequel better. The villains were ten times cooler. True it seems the film makers got lazy at the end,
But the atmosphere was there. The look was there.
as for the boss death from the first movie....It would have been cooler if they kept the hammer death from the comics. I just hate the changes they felt they had to make...Sherri became lil punk girl Sarah...The Crow is now anti drugs..
and its only a cult classic because a bunch of whiny goth kids finally have their own super hero.
DeathBringer1983 - 11/27/2009, 1:56 AM
I understand where you're coming from but the film became a cult classic because non-comic-purists enjoyed it, such as myself. Most people never even knew that the comic existed before seeing the film. A good movie is a good movie even if it's not faithful to it's source. It all depends on the film-making and The Crow was well filmed.
Shaman - 11/30/2009, 10:35 AM

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