Creator James O’Barr gives an update on Luke Evans’ The Crow reboot

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Last week we learned THE CROW reboot starring Luke Evans might start shooting this spring, and the comic's creator James O'Barr recently shared some additional details about the film in an interview with blogger Sean C.W. Korsgaard. O'Barr says he hopes "to begin production later this month, and start shooting in the spring," and he also says Luke Evans "looks great" in The Crow make-up.

O'Barr goes on to say the film won't be a remake of the Brandon Lee movie, which is also what Luke Evans said about the reboot earlier this year.

[W]e’re not remaking the movie," says O'Barr. "We’re readapting the book. My metaphor is that there is a Bela Lugosi 'Dracula' and there’s a Francis Ford Coppola 'Dracula'. They use the same material, but you still got two entirely different films. This one’s going to be closer to 'Taxi Driver' or a John Woo film, and I think there’s room for both of them. Part of the appeal of 'The Crow' comics, after all, is that they can tell very different stories.

James O'Barr continues by saying while Luke Evans will be playing Eric, he won't be playing Eric Draven.

If you read the comic, Eric and Shelley never have their last names revealed. Hopefully, this is one area the new movie being more faithful to the comic will come into play, and Eric won’t be going by Eric Draven in the new film. Luke Evans may play Eric, but Brandon Lee will forever be Eric Draven… No one understands that fear more than me. Brandon Lee was a friend and I’d never do anything to hurt his legacy.

O'Barr is involved with the reboot as a consultant, and says one of the reasons why he agreed to join the project is because he has control over the movie's soundtrack, just like he did for the original film. So which bands might appear on the reboot's soundtrack?

We’re including some music I’d wanted to originally, but just couldn’t get the rights to. Some actual Joy Division songs. Some vintage Cure songs. I’m still pretty active in the music industry, and there is a lot of neo-goth bands out there, that have that same sound, and I’ve talked to some of them about contributing, and they’re very excited about it.

I love the first movie, and even kind of like THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS. But things quickly went downhill for THE CROW franchise after that, and there hasn't been a new film since 2005's THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER. I'm still not 100% sold on the Luke Evans reboot, however if the movie has James O'Barr's blessings, then it has mine too…for now anyway.