A first look at The Crow reboot is here, starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs as tragic lovers Eric Draven and Shelly Webster.
The images, which first landed at Vanity Fair, see Skarsgård step into the role of goth rocker Eric Draven, sporting heavy black eye make-up, an eclectic mix of tattoos, and a much shorter hairdo than the original movie's late star Brandon Lee, who tragically lost his life through an on-set accident during the production.
Rupert Sanders, the director behind the new incarnation, told Vanity Fair that he considers the film a tribute to Lee's memory, even though it offers an entirely new take on the horror-revenge love story presented in the 1994 feature film adaptation, based on the 1989 comic book series of the same name by James O'Barr.
"Brandon was an original voice, and I think he will always be synonymous with The Crow and I hope he's proud of what we've done and how we've brought the story back again. His soul is very much alive in this film," Sanders said, adding that Skarsgård brings a "disturbing beauty" to the role. "There's a real fragility and beauty to his version of the Crow, and I think Bill feels like he is a successor to that."
Two further images from the upcoming reboot tease Eric and Shelly's dark romance, with both characters appearing loved up. The first photo sees the sparks fly between the pair as they cosy up next to a camp fire, while the second snap shows the couple leaning in for a kiss with only a thin white veil separating them.
"What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief, and the ethereal veil between life and death and reaching through that," Sanders explained. "Look, I grew up listening to Joy Division and the Cure, and this movie is a bit like a Cure song—the beauty of melancholy."
Sanders also took inspiration from modern-day artists to give Draven an updated appearance, revealing that he blended his own look from the 90s' with stylistic influences from the likes of Post Malone and Lil Peep to conjure a relatable character, one that he hopes "people who are 19 today look at him and go, 'That guy is us.'"
The Crow reboot will fly into theaters on June 7, 2024, taking the spot previously held by the John Wick spin-off Ballerina.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
