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'I Approached This Like...': Bill Skarsgard Opens Up About Taking Over Brandon Lee's The Crow Role
Bill Skarsgård reflects on the challenges of stepping into Brandon Lee's iconic role in The Crow, 30 years after the original film's tragic legacy.
Bill Skarsgård has shared his thoughts on stepping into the iconic role of Eric Draven in The Crow, a character famously portrayed by the late Brandon Lee in the 1994 film. With the new movie arriving 30 years after the original, Skarsgård acknowledges the weight of taking on such a significant part but explains how he approached the role differently.
Taking on the Legacy of Brandon Lee's Iconic Role
At the world premiere of The Crow on August 20 in New York City, Bill Skarsgård spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about the challenges of stepping into a role so closely associated with Brandon Lee. The original film, released in 1994, became a cult classic, in part due to the tragic circumstances surrounding Lee's death on set following an accidental shooting. Skarsgård, 34, described the experience of taking on the role of Eric Draven as "daunting" but noted that he wasn't the first to attempt to fill these shoes, referencing previous remakes in both film and television.
While acknowledging the iconic status of Lee's performance, Skarsgård emphasized that his approach to the role was rooted in treating it like any other job: "What's this story? How can I do this story justice?" He made it clear that the new film isn't a remake in the traditional sense. "We were not remaking that movie, and that was never the intention," he said. "I feel like that movie and his performance is iconic and shouldn't be tampered with at all. So I'm glad that we tried to do something very different with it."
Creating a New Vision While Honoring the Past
The 2024 version of The Crow offers a fresh take on the original story, with Skarsgård playing Eric, a man who is resurrected after his murder to seek revenge on those who killed him and his fiancée. The official synopsis describes Eric’s journey as one that traverses both the worlds of the living and the dead, driven by a desire to right the wrongs committed against him and his loved one. This new iteration, directed by Rupert Sanders, diverges significantly from the 1994 film, allowing it to stand on its own while respecting the legacy of the original.
Rupert Sanders, who directed the film, also addressed the connection to Brandon Lee in a February interview with Vanity Fair. He noted that Lee's "soul is very much alive in this film," reflecting on the tragedy that occurred during the making of the original movie. Sanders highlighted the delicate balance they aimed to achieve in honoring Lee's memory while also creating a new interpretation of The Crow. He remarked, "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."
The New Cast and Creative Team Behind The Crow
The 2024 adaptation of The Crow features a diverse cast alongside Skarsgård, including FKA Twigs, Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger. The film's screenplay was crafted by Zach Baylin and William Schneider, with Victor Hadida, Molly Hassell, John Jencks, and the original film's producers, the late Samuel Hadida and Ed Pressman, all serving as producers. The involvement of the original film's producers adds a layer of continuity and respect to the project, further linking it to the 1994 film.
The original The Crow movie, based on James O'Barr's 1989 graphic novel, was overshadowed by the tragic death of its star, Brandon Lee, who was accidentally shot on set in 1993 at the age of 28. Despite the tragedy, the film was completed and released in May 1994, becoming a symbol of Lee's legacy and a cult classic in the years that followed. The new film seeks to bring a different vision to the story while acknowledging the deep impact the original had on audiences.
As The Crow prepares to hit theaters on August 23, Bill Skarsgård and the rest of the cast and crew are poised to introduce a new generation to the dark, haunting world of Eric Draven. While the 2024 film seeks to carve out its own identity, the memory of Brandon Lee’s performance and the tragedy that accompanied it remains a poignant part of the narrative. Director Rupert Sanders expressed hope that Lee would be proud of the new interpretation, stating, "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."
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