It’s always difficult to live up to a beloved classic, especially when that classic comes with a famous backstory. infamous backstory.
Liongate’s 2024 remake of The Crow, directed by Rupert Sanders, is facing this obstacle, with fans of the original already condemning the remake based on the trailer alone.
Brandon Lee, who originally played the titular character, notoriously died during the filming of the 1994 comic book movie, meaning fans are attached to it for a particularly sentimental reason. But that’s not the only reason many aren’t connecting to the new trailer.
The plot, which follows newly-immortal musician Eric Draven’s (Bill Skarsgård) mission to enact revenge on the gang who killed him and his fiancée (FKA Twigs), seems to feature very little in the vibe-heavy trailer.
The original comic book character of Eric Dravens was inspired by Iggy Pop – and while Skarsgård, 33, has a similar punk rock look in the trailer – he’s been unflatteringly compared to Jared Leto’s heavily criticised version of the Joker in The Suicide Squad.
Even the director of the original film, Alex Proyas, was unimpressed, previously commenting next to a photo of Skarsgård and FKA twigs: ‘Eric Draven’s having a bad hair day. Next reboot thanks.’
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‘I guess he’s supposed to be a bad mofo with all those tats and werewolves and skulls on his jacket,’ the director added alongside a laugh-crying emoji.
Others have said that the film looks soulless and is a waste of talented actors, with many commenting on the cliche dialogue and forced gritty aesthetic.
The trailer focuses heavily on the relationship between Skarsgård and FKA Twigs’, 36, characters, with multiple shots of the pair scantily clad in bed.
The rest of the trailer is very bloody, with so much fake blood shown that one wonders about the practical effects budget.
Some X users have even said the film looks more like a pornographic movie than a big-budget box office film, with the trailer focusing far more on exposed skin and violence than storytelling.
The movie cost a reported $50million (£39,197,500) to make, which is double the budget of the original film, which ultimately earned $84m (£65,851,800) – yet it somehow doesn’t seem to capture the heart and creativity of the original.
X user @FindlayLouis wrote, ‘Just watched the trailer for #TheCrow remake…… instantly I’m thinking it’s a porn film with better storylines. Tbh, there’s a few things that I find interesting & it’s clear this is very different. I wish he had traditional make up. I’ll probably wait till it comes out.’
Some users were even less generous. @_ExMortis wrote: ‘There’s still time to throw this in the bin and never let it see the light of day.’
User @geeky_viking agreed, writing, ‘As someone who owns every Crow film, I want to give this a chance…but damn this trailer is garbage – a soulless remake that’s nothing more than a quick cash grab. Might be proven wrong upon release, but not holding my breath.’
Whether you enjoy it or not, the new preview is creating a lot of excitement for The Crow – which might still surpass the hopes of fans.
