The Crow reboot director hopes Brandon Lee is "proud of what we've done" with upcoming film

Sanders's comments came along with a first look at Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven

Image credit: Lionsgate

Feature by Grant DeArmitt Contributing writer

Published on Feb. 28, 2024

Popverse's top stories of the day

Hannibal wouldn't be a fan of Chicago's local food scene, according to Mads Mikkelsen (but, then again, he's a cannibal)
Watch: Artist's Alley Asks: Superman or Fantastic Four? Gene Ha, Cully Hamner, Jarrett Melendez, Rachael Stott, Soo Lee, and Tim Seeley weigh in on their cinematic preference
Brandon Sanderson tried (very hard) to change one character arc on the Wheel of Time show

The Crow is a movie remembered for its tragedy - onscreen and off. A supernatural tale of revenge and romance, real heartbreak struck the film when its lead, Brandon Lee, was killed during an accident on set. It's a memory that stays with every fan of the film, including the minds behind its reboot.

Speaking of the new film with Vanity Fair, director Rupert Sanders expressed the idea of Lee's memory still very much being a part of the film, and Sanders's hopes that the late star would have been proud of the project.

"Brandon was an original voice," says the director, "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."

The Bill he's reffering to is It star Bill Skarsgård, who takes on the role Lee made famous, Eric Draven. Created by comics James O'Barr, Draven is the titular Crow in the comic of the same name, an undead avenger walking the veil between worlds after the murder of himself and his girlfriend, played in the new film by FKA Twigs. Along with Sanders's comments about Lee in the role, Vanity Fair published a first look at Skarsgård in the title role, pictured above.

The rest of the first-look images are below.