Original ‘The Crow’ Director Disavows Remake: ‘Brandon Lee Died Making’ the Film and It ‘Should Remain’ His ‘Legacy’

Ethan Shanfeld
·2 min read
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Thirty years after its release, the supernatural superhero thriller “The Crow” is getting the remake treatment from director Rupert Sanders and star Bill Skarsgård. But Alex Proyas, the director of the original 1994 film starring Brandon Lee, doesn’t think that’s a good idea.

“I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work,” Proyas wrote on Facebook. “And I’m certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film. So it pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan’s response speaks volumes. [‘The Crow’] is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That’s how it should remain.”

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Lee, the son of martial artist and Hollywood legend Bruce Lee, died at age 28 on the set of “The Crow” when he was fatally shot by a prop gun. The film, about a musician who comes back from the dead to get revenge against the gang who murdered him and his fiancée, was completed using a stunt double and digital effects.

The movie became a huge success both critically and commercially and was subsequently dedicated to Lee and his fiancée, Eliza Hutton. Lee’s death sparked widespread calls for stricter safety measures on Hollywood sets, and mirrors the fatal accident on the set of “Rust,” where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died after a bullet was discharged from a gun held by Alec Baldwin.

In his Facebook post, Proyas linked to a CBR article titled “The Crow Remake Trailer Gets Staggering Amount of Dislikes on YouTube.” The trailer for the remake, which also stars FKA Twigs, received a fair amount of backlash online.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Sanders said he considers his version of “The Crow” to be a tribute to Lee. “Obviously, it was a terrible tragedy, and it’s definitely something that we’ve always had in mind through the making of the film,” he said of Lee’s death. “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 [Skarsgård] feels like he is a successor to that.”

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