The very idea of a new version of The Crow sparked plenty of outrage online, with fans of the Brandon Lee original saying no one could possibly replace him. Things only got worse when images of Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven dropped, prompting negative responses from fans and even the original’s director, Alex Proyas. As we await The Crow’s August release, Skarsgård himself has his own thoughts on the movie…and they’re not exactly positive, either.
In a new profile in Esquire, Bill Skarsgård said that the ending of The Crow is far from satisfying, declaring, “I personally preferred something more definitive.” This would suggest that Rupert Sanders’ movie teases something more open-ended, quite possibly attempting to set up a sequel to fully reboot the franchise. Did Sanders not see the other Crow movies…?
Outside of The Crow, Bill Skarsgård has had other problems leading up to a potentially hit movie’s release. As he recalled in the same interview, he was met with internet backlash once the studio released their first look at him in fully Pennywise garb. “They did a thing that I felt was kind of mean…I was so incredibly nervous to start this job, and then the Internet is having so many hateful opinions on the weird, strange look of the thing.”
That moment, however, did give Skarsgård a chance to reevaluate his approach, saying, “You can only make this performance to please yourself.” But that might be part of an ongoing problem. Sure, ultimately the performance belongs to the actor, but certainly Skarsgård was aware that his casting as Eric Draven in The Crow would be the target of online hate.
As it is, Bill Skarsgård feels like something of a go-to for pre-existing creepy and/or goth characters, landing both It and The Crow. The actor also has Nosferatu lined up for later this year, although the fanbase for Count Orlok is exponentially lower than that of Pennywise – a character he did fully make his own and resurrect for a new generation – and Eric Draven; as such – and backed by the prestige of Robert Eggers – Nosferatu has far more buzz to it than any of the aforementioned titles.
The Crow flies into theaters on August 23rd while Nosferatu is set to rise on December 25th.
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