The Crow director Alex Proyas reacts to remake, says it should remain Brandon Lee’s legacy

The first trailer for the remake of The Crow was finally released last week, and although it had its fans, it generated quite a lot of backlash. Alex Proyas, the director of the original movie, doesn’t seem to be a fan of the remake and took to Facebook to say that The Crow should remain the legacy of Brandon Lee.

“I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work,” Proyas wrote. “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.“

Starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs, this modern reimagining of the original graphic novel by James O’Barr was directed by Rupert Sanders from a script by Zach Baylin. Here’s the synopsis: “Soulmates Eric Draven (Skarsgård) and Shelly Webster (FKA twigs) are brutally murdered when the demons of her dark past catch up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.” The Crow has been stuck in development hell for decades, with actors such as Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Hiddleston, Luke Evans, Jack Huston, and Jason Momoa each attached to the role at various points. It feels somewhat remarkable that the remake got made after all that, but the reactions from fans do make you wonder whether or not it should have been left alone.

Sanders has said that he wanted to update The Crow for a modern audience. “Our interpretation of James’ work also reflects this young generation, whose tastes and references have changed so dramatically from the original film,” he said. “Hopefully it speaks to them in their language, with their style and music and hopefully will get them to discover Alex Proyas’ film and James O’Barr’s graphic novel, bringing a new audience to the source material.“

The Crow will hit theaters on June 7th.