After years of rumors, The Crow reboot is coming. The face of this resuscitated franchise is Luke Evans, a handsome Welsh actor who recently appeared in Fast & Furious 6 as well as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Set to play Eric Draven, a role originated by the late Brandon Lee in the 1994 original, Evans has been asked what audiences should expect from this resurrected reboot. One thing he promised was that Lee's beloved final film would be respected and unsullied.
Coming Soon tipped a video from Red Carpet News that has Evans assuring The Crow's fans that its inspiration is less the 1994 hit and more the original comic book series by James O'Barr. He explains:
"We just want to be as authentic and loyal to the original comic as possible, and that means the story will be different. It'll be different from what people are expecting. It's not about us ripping off the Brandon Lee movie, that stands alone as a brilliant piece of cult film and a great performance, but we're going back to the book, the original book. And that's exciting because we're bringing to the screen a lot of parts of the story that were never really told. So yeah, it's our chance to do it, to do it differently, but to be as loyal and respectful of the original storyline as we possibly can."
This reflects what O'Barr himself said of the in-development production last summer, when Relativity Media brought him on board to serve as The Crow's consultant. Ahead of a Comic Con panel with the reboot's helmer F. Javier Gutierrez, O'Barr said in a statement:
"It is important for Crow fans to understand that Relativity, Javier, Luke and the entire team are working on a new adaptation of the book itself. I believe that this movie will stand alongside Brandon and his film as a valid work of art, and I look forward to collaborating on the project."
In both of these responses, there is a clear respect being paid not only to Lee's movie, but also to the fans who have made it such a cultural phenomenon. It's well-deserved respect, considering their love of the character of The Crow made the first film a commercial hit and paved the way for a franchise that has boasted five features so far. But it's worth noting, part of the resistance to a reboot was due to how quickly the sequels devolved, culminating in the little-known Edward Furlong/Tara Reid vehicle The Crow: Wicked Prayer in 2005.
Thankfully, this reboot has a better base than Wicked Prayer. While Gutierrez is a bit of a wild card, having only the little-known Spanish feature Before the Fall to his credit, this Crow has O'Barr's blessing as well as a compelling leading man in Evans.
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