Lionsgate has debuted the trailer for Rupert Sanders’ remake of “The Crow,” starring Bill Skarsgårdand FKA Twigs. The film is set for release on June 7.
Both the 1994 version starring the late Brandon Lee and the upcoming remake are based on the graphic novel by James O’Barr. In Sanders’ iteration, Skarsgård plays Eric Draven, who is killed alongside his girlfriend Shelly (FKA Twigs). In a limbo between life and death, Eric makes it his mission to avenge their murders.
The new trailer shows Eric come back from the dead to get his bloody revenge. Alive once more, he’s imbued with supernatural powers and can withstand gunshots, shotgun blasts and stabbings. The anti-hero goes down a dark path to avenge Shelly’s death at the hands of their mysterious killers. The trailer shows a montage of brutal violence, including a scene where Eric shoots through his own chest to take down a surprise attacker, then removes a sword from his own body to finish the job.
In a first look interview with Vanity Fair, Sanders spoke to the themes explored in the film: “What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief and the ethereal veil between life and death and reaching through that.”
The original version of “The Crow” was directed by Alex Proyas and featured rising star Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, as Eric Draven. During production, Lee died at the age of 28 when he was shot by a prop gun on the set of the film. His tragic death prompted an outcry and cast a shadow over the film, but “The Crow” was eventually completed and distributed by Miramax.
“Obviously, it was a terrible tragedy, and it’s definitely something that we’ve always had in mind through the making of the film,” Sanders said to Vanity Fair. “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.”
Skarsgårdis known for playing the clown Pennywise in the “It” horror franchise. FKA Twigs appeared in Alma Har’el’s “Honey Boy” (2019) opposite Shia LaBeouf and has also starred in her own music videos.
The original “Crow” film spawned three sequels released in 1996, 2000 and 2005.
Watch the trailer for Sanders’ “The Crow” below.
