The Crow’s Eric Draven knows a thing or two about resurrection. That why it’s fitting that the movie that kicked off the beloved The Crow franchise will get the same treatment, with a “modern reimaging” of the classic tale of love and vengeance, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Bill Skarsgaard, hitting theaters this month.
Whether you’re a life-long fan of the franchise or The Crow (2024) will be your first foray into the dark, brooding world of The Crow, this article has everything you need to know about the upcoming film, including the franchise’s background and who’s starring in this latest entry.
Is ‘The Crow’ (2024) a Remake?
Yep! The Crow (2024) is a reboot of the 1994 film of the same name, based on James O’Barr’s comic book series and directed by Alex Proyas. The original movie went to become a cult classic, beloved for its dark and gothic atmosphere, early 90s alternative rock soundtrack featuring iconic bands like Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine and its casting of Bruce Lee’s son, Brandon Lee, in the lead role.
The film is perhaps best known for having been Lee’s final role: He was shot and killed on-set by a prop gun that had been loaded with dummy rounds that were improperly prepared by members of the film crew.
The remake has been in the works since at least 2008, but the production process was complicated, featuring a rotating cast of directors and lead role actors.
You can watch the original 1994 version on DIRECTV:
When Does ‘The Crow’ (2024) Come Out?
The Crow (2024) will be released on August 24, 2024.
What is ‘The Crow’ (2024) About?
The Crow follows the story of Eric Draven, a rock musician who is murdered by gang members along with his fiancée on the night before their wedding. Rather than remain dead, Eric is instead resurrected by a supernatural crow. The crow grants him superpowers that render him impervious to injury, and he sets out on a quest to avenge his and his fiancée’s deaths by hunting down those responsible.
The Crow (2024) won’t be a direct remake, however, and is expected to differ from the 1994 film in many ways. The overarching themes of love and revenge will remain the same, but the specifics and story arcs will differ.
Check out the official trailer here:
Cast of ‘The Crow’ (2024)
So, which actors are going to be in the new The Crow movie? Here’s the cast of The Crow (2024):
- Bill Skarsgard will play the leading role of Eric Draven.
- British singer-songwriter FKA Twigs will play Draven’s fiancée, Shelly.
- Josette Simon as Sophia.
- Danny Huston, of Yellowstone fame, will appear as Vincent Roeg, a demonic crime boss.
- Laura Birn will play Marian, Roeg’s lieutenant.
- Sami Bouajila will appear as Kronos, Draven’s spirit guide.
- Isabella Wei as Zadie.
- Jordan Bolger will play Chance, Eric and Shelly’s close friend.
Other Movies in ‘The Crow’ Franchise
Though it didn’t attain its cult classic status until later, the original 1994 version of The Crow was well-received enough to spawn a cinematic franchise over the course of the next decade, resulting in three sequels. Here’s a look at some of the other movies in The Crow franchise in order of release:
‘The Crow: City of Angels’ (1996)
The Crow: City of Angels was the first sequel to the original film. It was intended to continue to story of its predecessor but flopped hard with fans and critics. City of Angels is worth a watch for anyone who yearns for more of the same from the first film.
‘The Crow: Salvation’ (2000)
The third film in the franchise, The Crow: Salvation, strikes a much different tone to the first two. It’s more a murder mystery movie than a vengeance-driven action film like its predecessors. This one went straight to home video.
‘The Crow: Wicked Prayer’ (2005)
The Crow: Wicked Prayer is widely considered to be the worst of the franchise’s films. After its release, no new full-length The Crow movies were made until the upcoming reboot of the original. This one also went directly to video.
Other Movies like ‘The Crow’
‘The Matrix’ Films
The Matrix films, the Wachowski brothers’ iconic cyberpunk franchise starring Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss and Hugo Weaving, were released around the same time period as The Crow. The first film in the series, The Matrix, garnered widespread critical acclaim, and the subsequent films performed far better at the box office.
The series captures the same dark, gothic vibe as The Crow movies, but features a deeper plot arc and was responsible for some of the most famous sequences in the science fiction genre, including Morpheus’s offering of the red and blue pills to Neo and Neo’s “bullet time” slow-motion sequence.
The ‘Blade’ Films
Starring Wesley Snipes and with a reboot of its own starring Mahershala Ali on the way via the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Blade movies are another superhero franchise based on a comic book. The films follow the half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter Blade as he sets out to rid the world of vampires for good.
‘The Punisher’
After former FBI agent Frank Castle’s family is murdered and he himself is left for dead, he survives and wages all-out war against the crime boss responsible for their deaths. This film, also based on a Marvel comic book, focuses heavily on the same themes of love, vengeance and vigilantism as The Crow.
‘Spawn’
While a crow resurrects Eric Draven in The Crow, Spawn‘s Al Simmons is brought back to life by the forces of Hell to avenge his death and see his wife again. Realizing part of the bargain is that he must serve in Hell’s army, he revolts and uses his superpowers to fight against other demons and take down his former boss.
‘V for Vendetta’
V for Vendetta focuses on the same themes of vigilante justice and vengeance as The Crow and has a similarly dark and dystopian tone. The main character, V, is driven to engage in terrorism against a totalitarian regime due to the suffering he experienced at their hands.
Watch ‘The Crow’ on DIRECTV
You can watch The Crow and other movies like it to prepare for The Crow (2024) on DIRECTV. Don’t have DIRECTV yet? Let’s fix that today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'The Crow' (2024) a remake?
Yes, it's been billed as a "modern reimagining" of the 1994 cult classic 'The Crow'.
Who plays Eric Draven in The Crow (2024)?
Bill Skarsgaard will step into the role of resurrected rocker Eric Draven.
How many The Crow movies are there?
There are five, including the upcoming remake.
The content is featured on https://www.directv.com/insider/ is editorial content brought to you by DIRECTV. While some of the programming discussed may now or in the future be available affiliates distribution services, the companies and persons discussed and depicted, and the authors and publishers of licensed content, are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. When you click on ads on this site you may be taken to DIRECTV marketing pages that display advertising content. Content sponsored or co-created by programmers is identified as "Sponsored Content" or "Promoted Content."
