Brandon Lee‘s co-star Ernie Hudson from 1993’s The Crow reveals why he has not seen the trailer for the Bill Skarsgård-led reboot.
“I haven’t seen it. The actor, who is playing the lead, I love and respect,” Hudson said in an interview with ComicBook while promoting Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
“But, for me, The Crow is Brandon Lee. I can’t imagine … The Crow is many different stories. Let’s hope they don’t try to re-do him, that they do their own thing with it and take it in a different direction. I haven’t seen it, I haven’t seen any of the other Crow [movies], because [of] what happened to Brandon.”
While Hudson chose to take the high road, original Crow director Alex Proyas has been the most vocal in expressing disapproval of what the upcoming reboot does to Lee’s legacy. “The Crow is not just a movie,” Proyas said. “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.”
The legacy of The Crow
Released in 1994, Proyas’ The Crow was an adaptation of the Caliber Comics supernatural superhero created by James O’Barr and starring the late Brandon Lee. The movie follows a rock musician who was left for dead alongside his fiancée and gets resurrected to seek revenge against the killers. The Crow had an unfortunate production history as star Lee was fatally wounded by a prop weapon and had his remaining scenes finished through the use of early CGI as well as stunt doubles. Praised by critics for Lee’s final performance, The Crow earned $94 million worldwide on a $23 million budget. It was followed by three unsuccessful sequels in 1996, 2000, and 2005.
Directed by Rupert Sanders with a screenplay by Zach Baylin and Will Schneider, The Crow reboot stars Skarsgård in the title role opposite FKA Twigs, Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger.
The Crow is scheduled for release in theaters on June 7.
