Relativity Media's remake of THE CROW was deep in pre-production when the company had to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July, causing the project to be suspended. Although there were rumors that director Corin Hardy (THE HALLOW) might let go of the helm, like Stephen Norrington, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and F. Javier Gutierrez did before him, Relativity has now made sure that won't happen, getting Hardy to sign a holding deal.
Relativity is expected to emerge from the bankruptcy process in March, at which time getting THE CROW into production will be their top priority.
While fans aren't exactly excited by the prospect of the remake, THE CROW's creator James O'Barr is fully on board for this new take on the material, saying that it's not directly a remake of the 1994 film, but instead a faithful adaptation of his original graphic novel, sticking to it almost page-for-page.
Although Andrea Riseborough has been expect to play the villain Top Dollar, who was played by Michael Wincott in the '94 version, it's not currently clear if she will be involved when cameras start rolling. Whether it's Riseborough or not, Top Dollar will be a female this time around. Speaking with Fangoria, O'Barr had this to say about the character:
"It's not what people might expect. She's the girlfriend of one of the gang members, and not necessarily the head of the gang, like everyone thinks. It’s adding more layers to the bad guys. They all have extra backstory in this one, and get a little more screen time than I gave them in the book."
The top order of business when pre-production resumes on THE CROW will surely be to find a new actor to follow in the footsteps of Brandon Lee as the story's hero Eric Draven. The previously cast Jack Huston dropped off the project back in June.
THE CROW '94's Bai Ling