‘The Crow’ Creator James O’Barr, Approves Of Reboot, Production Is A Go

Looks like The Crow reboot is finally moving ahead, after being endorsed by creator James O’Barr, who is on board as a consultant. For a while it seemed as though the controversial remake was going nowhere, but now we hear differently.

Director F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) has been attached to the project for about two-years, as has Welsh actor Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, Fast & Furious 6), who is cast to play haunted rocker Eric Draven. Earlier this week, producer Ed Pressman announced that production would begin in the Spring of 2015.

But this new version hasn’t come without controversy, as many fans absolutely refuse to even consider anything other than the original. In the classic 1994 film, actor Brandon Lee played the main character, but he died tragically during production turning him into a larger than life figure for loyal followers.

The fact that the creator will be involved in The Crow development and filming, has appeased many, who were appalled at the thought of a remake. However, there are still those who think making a new film is completely unnecessary. O’Barr had significant input in the 1994 original, so much so that he and Lee became good friends during the production.

Initially, the creator publicly criticized the idea of a reboot of The Crow and winning him over was no easy task for Gutiérrez, who’s faced an uphill battle from the start. According to Screen Rant it took the Spanish director to visit O’Barr personally, to convince him that this new take is indeed a good idea.

Gutiérrez has said that calling this a remake is not accurate, as he intends to do an adaptation of The Crow’s creator original graphic novel, which was heavily tweaked by Alex Proyas in 1994. A clear example of this is the fact that Eric and his girlfriend don’t have last names in O’Barr’s book (they were added by Proyas and the screenplay writers for the film).

The report suggests that removing the last name for Eric Draven will allow Brandon Lee’s legacy to remain intact. At the same time, this will allow Luke Evans to put his brand on the famous character.

Fans that are opposed to The Crow reboot, but are fans of its creator’s work, can find solace in the fact that Gutiérrez and Evans personally met with James O’Barr to present their point of view and in the end received his approval. Not only that, O’Barr was so convinced that he agreed to come on board as a creative consultant.

O’Barr will once again take charge of the soundtrack — as he did successfully in 1994 — and plans to include bands such as Joy Division and The Cure, in addition to modern groups with similar styles.

What do you think about news that The Crow’s creator will be involved in this new version?

[Image via Miramax]