14 DAY TRIAL // One year ago, word got out that a remake of the 1994 classic “The Crow” was in the making. In April this year, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was confirmed as director. The other day, he dropped out of the project.
Attempts at remaking “The Crow” have been many since the original film came out and, most importantly, since confirmation came that it was a smashing hit.
However, neither managed to rise to the standard set by the original and some never even saw the light of day because they were deemed impossible to pull off projects.
The same seems to happen to the most recent attempt: everything seemed to be clear this spring but is now crumbling down, Slash Film reports.
Fresnadillo (“28 Weeks Later,” “Intacto”) has bailed and didn’t even offer a reason for it, though the aforementioned publication believes conflicting schedules may have been the cause.
“Twitch reports that Fresnadillo has moved on, without offering any specific details. (Deadline confirmed.) Fresnadillo has a deal to direct the Highlander reboot for Summit, which likely played a part in this departure,” the e-zine says.
However, the director’s departure is just one of many, which is giving fans fresh hope that the remake may never happen – to those who believe that it shouldn’t be made, of course.
“Stephen Norrington was going to direct a script by Nick Cave but Norrington skipped away from the reboot, and Cave’s script was eventually dumped at the behest of an actor who wanted a different take,” Slash Film says.
“Bradley Cooper was going to play the lead role of Eric Draven, killed and brought back to Earth as a vengeful spirit, but he left to star in Paradise Lost,” the e-zine adds.
After word got out online that Cooper had been approached for the part, nothing else was heard of his supposed involvement in the film, which could mean the deal went sour.
“So there will probably be a new director hire soon, though the film still needs a leading man. Alex Tse wrote a script that was in play for the Fresnadillo version, but we don’t know if that will be kept, or if a new draft will be commissioned,” Slash Film concludes.
In other words, “The Crow” remake is now an equation with too many unknowns and might never see the light of day.