William Schneider, who co-wrote the screenplay of The Crow with Zach Baylin, “fell in love with director Rupert Sanders’ completely new take on a modern reimagination of the original graphic novel by James O’Barr. “The way he took a tale of revenge and from it built an unforgettable love story was so inventive, imaginative, and challenging. I loved getting into that element.”
Co-writer Zach Baylin was equally drawn to Sanders’ vision. “I’m a huge admirer of Rupert’s work and I knew he would make something striking and visionary and moving. I also had an affinity for the heartbreak and outsider perspective of the original graphic novel and wanted to honor that tragic love story.”
For director Rupert Sanders, the love story between the central characters, Eric and Shelly, is the film’s beating heart. “I wanted to invest audiences in their love story, and to have them understand what Eric will do when that love is taken from him,” he says. “So, The Crow is two movies in one: an action-thriller story of revenge, and a romance.”
Indeed, the tragedy, loss, and grief of Eric and Shelly’s romance drives the film. As producer Molly Hassell notes, “During the film’s development, one of the most pressing considerations was the thought of what we – or someone – would give to have that last moment with the person we loved deeply and lost tragically. To bring to screen the complex feeling of unexpected loss and to honor the complicated landscape that comes in the wake of such loss. Once we brought Rupert aboard, we decided to make something new and imaginative that would touch upon those feelings to which everyone can relate – within a big action-thriller. The Crow hits on a new zeitgeist, and a new way of looking at the world, grief, and ultimately, at healing.”
“Rupert brought an authenticity from the original source material and a vision that was totally reimagined for a new generation unlike any other ideas we had seen,” says producer Victor Hadida. “His version of this dark anti-hero who you could still see humanity within at their darkest hour, and a sense of such anger and frustration reflected throughout the film was tantalizing.”
The Crow’s look is inspired by the graphic novel’s haunting imagery – and encompasses the casting of Skarsgård as a totally reimagined Eric, with a hardened, gothic aesthetic. The characters are modern, dynamic, have varied artistic interests, and inhabit a contemporary society with intriguingly retro designs.
Bill Skarsgård adds that The Crow is very much a film for today’s audiences. “That’s what really got me excited about it,” he explains. “This film’s Eric and Shelly are completely contemporary; they’re two outsiders to whom anyone can relate.”
In the revenge/action-thriller The Crow, soulmates Eric (Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA twigs) are brutally murdered when the demons of her dark past catch up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out for merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put things right. The film navigates the complexities of love, loss, and grief within the framework of a no-holds-barred story of action and revenge.
Director Rupert Sanders’ Statement
The Crow is the original anti-superhero. His story is about tragic loss, about dealing with the pain of everything that comes with losing someone you love, something that all of us have or will encounter at some point in our lives. It is about the dark shadow of grief, about what we would do when something so meaningful is taken from us.
The original graphic novel is deeply meaningful for so many, and the character, his journey and his need for revenge has inspired a canon of films for the last three decades. Our version goes back to that graphic novel by James O’Barr, who I had the honour of meeting shortly before production, and explores the love story as the primary drive for our film.
What Alex Proyas did with The Crow in 1994 – and Brandon Lee’s iconic embodiment of that character – will forever impact that generation and others to follow. It was a culture-defining film that is beloved to this day and has inspired many other iterations both inside and outside The Crow Universe.
That film sparked a fire with the youth of that day, a youth who grew up on hard, alternative rock, punk and metal, that binged on MTV and zines. It held a mirror to that generation in the aesthetic of the film, its smoky, rain-drenched streets, stylized and subverted sets, its leather clad hero and chain wielding villains. It expressed its name in a very specific, music-driven vision, that spoke to a young audience who had never been spoken to in that way. It became a cult classic.
Our interpretation of James’ work also reflects this young generation, whose tastes and references have changed so dramatically from the original film. Hopefully it speaks to them in their language, with their style and music and hopefully will get them to discover Alex Proyas’ film and James O’Barr’s graphic novel, bringing a new audience to the source material.
For this story is as universal as an epic poem or Greek myth, it deals with the very primal, naturalistic emotions of love, grief and rage and it also deals with the supernatural and physiological imaginings of heaven and hell, the dead and the undead. It explores the great positive force of love and the great negative force of rage and hate that stands in its shadow, it asks what would we do, but also what would we have become by doing so. When Eric slumps to the floor, covered in the blood of the slain, we look deep into his eyes and he asks us…why?
I am very pleased to have worked with two young actors whose performances are the backbone of this film. Bill Skarsgård is so committed and vulnerable, monstrously violent and delicately tender, he brings so many layers to the complex emotion of a man consumed with so much love and hate, but also a man who will do anything for the woman he loves. He fights, numb with pain and grief, killing and maiming for the one he loves…but to what end? FKA twigs brings the same unique and wondrous talent that she does to her entire volume of work, and her performance and the vacuum created by her absence undoubtedly gives reason for this Crow to be born.
From Page to Screen
Sanders’s startling vision for the look of the film hits us from the opening frames, during the title sequence, in which a figure – revealed to be Eric – is seen writhing and undulating in a black liquid.
“I wanted to make a film that was sophisticated, visceral, and mind-blowing from the start,” says Sanders. In a near freezing room, the filmmakers filled a large animal feed tank with a black food-thickening agent, in which Skarsgård was filmed writhing, splashing, punching, and spitting – all captured at an ultra-high 600 frames per second with a state-of-the-art Phantom camera. The high frame rate facilitated a slow-motion unveiling of the unsettling and striking actions. “We designed it to be an allegory of a fight against the darkness,” Sanders adds.
When Sanders came aboard The Crow he looked at some of his favorite films from the ‘80s and ‘90s, like Diva and Subway, which, he says, “have this great aesthetic that feels very modern, yet timeless and otherworldly.”
“I wanted The Crow to have a grounded aesthetic,” Sanders continues. “Even the supernatural elements had to feel authentic. I didn’t want anything to feel too fantastical.”
The film moves between the urban, graffitied street culture and nightclubs of Eric’s life, to the more sophisticated ‘90s-inspired apartments of Shelly and her mother, and the heaven-and-hell vibe of the massive, flooded, and abandoned railyard that’s home to Kronos.
Sanders wanted Eric to have a kind of homemade chop aesthetic, as well as home-grown piercings and tattoos, all of which are central to the character. “I wanted Eric to come from a place that felt resonant to the street culture I grew up with in the ‘90s,” says Sanders. “Many of the kids I used to go out with would cut homemade mullets and piercings, and people would tattoo their own thighs and hands. Eric has been on that kind of journey and has that kind of piecemeal look. It was about him looking aggressive on the outside, but inside being very vulnerable. It’s not a warning of ‘I’m dangerous’; it’s a warning of ‘Keep away; don’t talk to me.’”
Principal photography of The Crow took place in Prague, Czech Republic. In addition to the volcanic opera house sequence, notable sets created by production designer Robin Brown and his team included Kronos’s in-between world of the living and dead, which was inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky’s landmark 1979 film Stalker.
The Crow’s theme of loss and grief extended into the lives of the filmmakers.
The sense of real-life loss extended into this film’s production. The production of this film was marked by a poignant real-life loss. Edward Pressman, who was a producer on the 1994 picture, as well as on the new one, passed away not long after production wrapped.
“Ed’s sensibility, and his understanding of pop culture and the motion picture universe, were very present when we made The Crow,” says Sanders. “I was lucky when I got to sit with Ed for lunch and screen some of the film for him. Later, Ed saw the first cut of the film, and wrote me a long, beautiful email about how much he loved it, how he thought it was a worthy successor, and how we retained so much of what he loved about the graphic novel. He was a true advocate for the path were taking on The Crow.”
Molly Hassell reminds us that the heart of the film is grief, noting that James O’Barr wrote the graphic novel after his fiancé had passed away in an automobile accident. Moreover, Hassell and fellow producers Victor Hadida and John Jencks had decided to make The Crow in the memory of Victor’s late brother, Samuel Hadida, who had been championing the making of film but passed away in 2018. “At the time, we dedicated the making of The Crow to Samuel Hadida who we lost unexpectedly. This loss was very personal to all of us involved in the film – whether as brother, love, or deep friendship – it was the driving force behind the creation of the new film. Much like O’Barrs original work.” Victor continues, “bringing it to screen is the biggest tribute I can make to his legacy.”
Hassell says these themes will move audiences. “We wanted to make a film to which audiences can relate, and from which they can take something away,” she continues. “It’s very important to all of us involved in The Crow that audiences leave the cinemas understanding that they’re not alone, and that everyone, at some point, experiences grief or death. It’s not a solo journey; it’s something we can talk about and deal with together.”
Victor Hadida says “The aesthetic of the film is an experience in itself. But in a dark theater on the big screen with great music and surround sound, you go on this journey with these characters in a beautiful and stylish setting with impressive scope, and it is so very intimate.”
For William Schneider, working on The Crow was an emotional experience. “When I was a kid, the world that James O’Barr created was so important to me, so being a part of this project was incredibly personal. It felt like Rupert Sanders was leading us through the jungle together, uncovering so many unique moments. It was always challenging work, but very rewarding at the end of the day. It felt like we were making something special.”
Bill Skarsgård adds that The Crow offers audiences something different. “It’s emotional, dark, gritty, romantic, with a lot of edgy action. I hope the movie speaks to everyone, especially those who don’t see themselves represented much in films today. Eric and Shelly are outsiders, rebels, and misfits, and this is their story.”
Rupert Sanders concludes, “This story has universal themes: everyone has loved and experienced grief. There’s also the idea about sacrifice – that there are things worth more than a sense of self. The film asks, what would you do for someone else? It taps back into the true beauty of a love story.”
Eric and Shelly “two kinds of broken and lost souls who find each other in a rehab facility.”
Director Rupert Sanders calls the central characters, Eric and Shelly “two kinds of broken and lost souls who find each other in a rehab facility. They come from different worlds; there’s a kind of uptown girl / downtown boy feel about them. Eric is lost and silent. There’s something beautifully damaged about him. Yet, he’s a romantic and can express himself emotionally in a way we don’t typically see in heroes or anti-heroes.”
Eric’s body is covered in tattoos, which tell others to keep away from him. “They’re a kind of shell,” says Skarsgård. “Eric is tormented, raw, and vulnerable. But there’s another side to him; he’s also gentle and hurting. Eric has grown up in a destructive household and has been living on the streets. He uses drugs and other vices to survive, with only Eric’s creative work in music and drawing giving him purpose.”
“Then Eric meets Shelly, which transforms him,” the actor continues. “I imagine that can happen with addicts or people close to rock bottom; they meet someone and project a kind of salvation on them. I think Eric feels that Shelly is some kind of angel who’s been sent to save him. Shelly becomes Eric’s savior as well as his lover. She rekindles a fire and purpose in Eric. When she’s taken away from him, it’s all about the lengths that Eric will go to get her back.”
Sanders says that Shelly’s arrival in Eric’s life is completely unexpected, but “there’s something magical about their draw to one another. She teaches him how to feel and love again. When that’s taken away from Eric, it’s incredibly painful.”
There’s a supernatural loophole that could bring Shelly back – but at the ultimate cost to Eric. First, he must become a vengeance seeking, unstoppable force.
Eric’s odyssey of retribution is marked by relentless violence and death, but also points to another of the film’s key themes: self-sacrifice. Says Sanders: “Eric’s great loss leads to a journey of nihilism and destruction, but it’s all to bring Shelly back. He will become a monster and sacrifice his eternal life for her mortal life.”
FKA twigs, a British genre-bending singer, songwriter, and actor, took on the role of Shelly. Shelly, too, is broken. She had been taken under the wing of a wealthy man whom she saw as a benefactor, but who ultimately forced her to commit an unspeakable act. To escape his further persecution, Shelly flees to the rehab facility where she eventually meets Eric. Their bond is immediate and powerful.
“Eric offers Shelly comfort, safety, and an unconditional love that she’s not experienced before,” twigs notes. “Shelly, in turn, offers Eric a sense of expression, art, and knowledge. She’s always talking about music and poetry and has lived in beautiful places. Shelly provides Eric with a kind of home to explore and express himself and be the most authentic version of himself. They’re a perfect fit of jigsaw puzzle pieces. So, when she’s ripped away from him, Eric has no choice but to go and find her, no matter what it costs him.”
In casting the role of Eric, Sanders and Hassell were looking for an actor who could convey authenticity, as well as a critical mix of inner fragility and external violence and rage that fill Eric in his journey to save Shelly. They found all those colliding traits in Bill Skarsgård.
“Bill, after working in the horror genre [as Pennywise the Clown in the blockbuster film adaptations of Stephen King’s It], was ready to step out from those veils of makeup and become himself,” Sanders explains. “He’s an incredibly emotional actor, with huge eyes that convey feelings of longing, pain, boyish wonder, and love. But when they harden, those eyes become terrifying.”
The dynamic between Eric and Shelly – and Skarsgård and twigs – had to be magical. “There was indeed something chemical going on between Bill and twigs that was a joy to watch and capture on film,” Sanders tells us. “Without that chemistry, we’d wonder why Eric would go on this war path to bring back Shelly. Eric had to care so deeply about Shelly, and she had to make such an impression on him – and the audience – which she does.”
“The Crow’s DNA has alway been a deeply romantic helix of horror, music, and violent urban myth and Bill and Twigs are the perfect collaborators to bring that to life,” says Baylin. Beyond the necessary chemistry, Sanders was looking for an actor who could embody Shelly’s magical and unique qualities, “so the audience would feel the vacuum from her disappearance,” he continues. “There was something about twigs that carried a once-in-a-generation feeling. She really turns Shelly into a formidable and iconic figure. “Twigs is such a transcendent performer with a mix of balletic grace and punk outrage that perfectly fit our Crow’s world.”
FKA twigs felt a strong and immediate connection to the character. “I wanted to play Shelly because she felt like a magnified version of myself. Obviously, we’re not the same, but it felt like Shelly was one side of me that could be ‘blown up’ into the entire character. There’s something really light and child-like about Shelly, even though she’s been enveloped in darkness,” twigs continues. “I feel that in myself, as well. I liked that Eric and Shelly have such a deep love and connection that feels different from those we’ve seen before. They have their own vibe.”
© Lionsgate
RUPERT SANDERS – DIRECTOR
Filmmaker Rupert Sanders is best known for his compelling storytelling and striking visuals across film, television, and advertisements. Sanders started his career in advertising, directing spots for clients including Apple, Nike, and Guinness. He went on to direct award-winning spots such as Diorama for Halo which won two Grand Prix awards for Film and Integrated Film at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. He also directed The Life for Halo which won a Gold Lion for cinematography and Sanders a Silver Lion for directing. He released his first feature film, Snow White And The Huntsman, in 2012. The action-fantasy starred Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron and opened to number one at the box office. Sanders then directed the adaptation of the popular science fiction manga, Ghost In The Shell, starring Scarlett Johannson in 2017. On the TV side, Rupert directed the pilot episode for Apple’s sci-fi epic Foundation. The series premiered to rave reviews and was picked up for a third season.
ZACH BAYLIN – SCREENWRITER
Zach Baylin is an Academy Award, BAFTA and WGA-nominated screenwriter and was named one of VARIETY’s “10 Screenwriters to Watch.” Baylin penned the script for the Oscar Nominated King Richard for Warner Bros. Studios, which debuted to rave reviews in 2021 and went on to receive six Oscar nominations, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Film and Best Actor, which Will Smith took home for his performance as Richard Williams. Most recently, Baylin wrote Bob Marley: One Love, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Paramount film about the life of Bob Marley, which released on February 14. Previously, Baylin co-wrote the script for Creed III, the third installment of the revamped Rocky series, for MGM. The film stars Michael B. Jordan, who also made his directorial debut with the film, and had the highest grossing opening weekend for a sports film of all time. Baylin also wrote a re-imagining of the upcoming 90’s classic THE CROW for director Rupert Sanders to be released in 2024 and cowrote Sony’s Gran Turismo, directed by Neill Blomkamp, which released on August 25, 2023. Baylin has written projects for Lionsgate, Imagine, TNT, Studio 8, wiip, as well as for acclaimed filmmakers such as James Gray, Jeremy Saulnier, Francesco Munzi, and Jonathan Levine. Together with his wife, Kate Susman, Baylin co-founded Youngblood Pictures, a Film and Television Development Company dedicated to telling true stories about complex, unheralded characters. At Youngblood, Kate and Zach currently have a number of film and TV projects in development, including The Order, a true crime heist thriller set in the dangerous American Militia movement of the 1980’s. The film stars Jude Law, Nick Hoult, Tye Sheridan and Jurnee Smollett. It is directed by Justin Kurzel and will be released in the fall of 2024. The duo is also writing and producing the limited series, Black Rabbit for Netflix, which stars and is executive produced by Jude Law and Jason Bateman (who is also directing). It is currently shooting in New York City for release in 2025.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER – SCREENWRITER
William is an award-winning writer who has established himself as an outstanding voice in crafting original screenplays and demonstrated a passion for adapting compelling IP for a global audience.
William co-wrote and executive produced the re-imagining of The Crow for director Rupert Sanders. William co-wrote an adaptation of the beloved Konami video game series Return to Silent Hill with Christophe Gans directing. He collaborated with Japanese literary giant Hideyuki Kikuchi to adapt the first book of his best-selling series of novels Vampire Hunter D. He also wrote an adaptation of Tecmo’s groundbreaking horror video game series Fatal Frame. He adapted one of his favorite graphic novels, Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese. He currently has Joel Reilly, Jasper Graham, and Patrick Patterson of Undisputed Pictures producing his action thriller script Rain Who Kills Alone. In television, William recently sold his pilot Dynamite to Brett Burlock and Cineflix. The script tells the story of the infamous English wrestler Tom Billington.
