Two years since the creators of the hit series Gangs Of London brought forth the fire and tumult with an explosive and pulsating first season, they’re back with a new round of episodes that now looks to ante things up with even more compelling story progression that puts our characters to a test of their wills and gumption.
The bell has officially rung as of Wednesday for Sky Original series, Gangs Of London. The series marks the latest foray for filmmaker Gareth Evans (Apostle) since his cult ascension among the action fandom proliferating then-burgeoning star Iko Uwais ten years ago.
It has been nearly a decade since plans went under way to revamp the popular 1994 revenge thriller, The Crow. The revolving door of actors and directors has been all but continuous up until the last few years to date with Friday’s news of a reported plan by the trades to keep Corin Hardy and actor Jason Momoa attached for what was titled as of last August as The Crow: Reborn.
That update also comes following a long-winded series of headlines that eventually saw Samuel Hadida’s Davis Films, Highland Film Group and Electric Shadow acquire the rights from floundering film studio, Relativity Media, to advance the film’s financing and production. As for distribution, that end now has Sony Pictures taking the mantle as production aims for a closer approach to James O’Barr’s cult-acclaimed 1989 graphic novel.
Momoa, if confirmed as expected, will headline as the title character, awakened from the dead by a mystical bird and granted the necessary powers and abilities to avenge his own death, and the rape and murder of his girlfriend. Also producing are Misher Films’s Kevin Misher as will Hadida and the original film’s producer, Edward R. Pressman, along with international sales banner Highland Film Group.
Alex Proyas’s 1994 release from Dimension Films is still hailed as a classic following the on-set death of its star, Brandon Lee in 1993. Actor Vincent Perez took the mantle with a new protagonist in Tim Pope’s commericial flop before actors Eric Mabius and Edward Furlong followed suit in their own smaller-scaled sequel releases. Mark Dacascos eventually laid claim to the property’s own TV series remake lasting one season of The Crow: Stairway To Heaven by 1999.
Momoa will next be seen in the Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon-helmed Justice League this November as heralded comic book hero, Aquaman, for which he will reprise titularly in his own film on December 21, 2018.
Pretty much any and every Jason Momoa fan out there is now investing their hopes in seeing how awesomely he’ll do in the forthcoming Aquaman and Justice League movies. They’re two of the more prolific of the bunch next to a couple of others like Braven, The Bad Batch and Sugar Mountain, though if you found yourself forgetting he was last tapped to star in Corin Hardy’s rendition of The Crow, it’s easy to see why.
With Relativity Media’s own Ryan Kavanaugh aching to see the remake of the 1994 adaptaion to James O’Barr’s original graphic novel, the project currently titled The Crow Reborn, has been stewing for as long as eight years as it started bouncing between select directors such as Stephen Norrington and name actors like Tom Hiddleston and Jack Huston. Momoa’s attachment to the film came long after Relativity settled its bankruptcy differences and recovered following months of extinuating legal disputes over unpaid loans, as well as box-office flops.
Since then, all has been quiet on the production front for The Crow though now it appears the film is ready to move forward within the auspices of its new home at Davis Films, Highland Film Group and Electric Shadow. Davis’s Samuel Hadida (Resident Evil saga, Silent Hill) is on board to produce the film with Pressman who produced Alex Proyas’s 1994 film starring Brandon Lee as a musician, murdered and subsequently reanimated by a mythical bird that grants him the time and abilities he’ll need to avenge himself and his beloved.
via THR:
“I am thrilled to collaborate with this talented team and return The Crow franchise to its roots for a new generation of audiences to enjoy,” Pressman said.
Electric Shadow is also producing the film as are the folks at Highland Film Group who will handle international sales. Kavanaugh is still attached as executive producer for the film which is expected to start shooting in January, although it is reportedly unclear if Momoa and Hardy are still on board for the film which is presently aiming for a closer adherance to the source material.
Proyas’s film is still hailed as a classic following the on-set death of its star and even in the wake of the passing of one of its co-stars, actor Michael Massee last month. The film is still subject to scrutiny by the anti-remake moviegoing crowd although it’s interesting to still see an appeal to revive the character on screen. Actor Vincent Perez took the mantle with a new protagonist in Tim Pope’s commericial flop before actors Eric Mabius and Edward Furlong followed suit in their own smaller-scaled sequel releases. Mark Dacascos eventually laid claim to the property’s own TV series remake lasting one season of The Crow: Stairway To Heaven by 1999.
Clearly it’s reasonable to see that a number of actors can play the role while it will take the right director to bring forward the right vision for the film. January is less than a month and a half away if production stays on course and it looks like it’s gonna be tight whether or not Momoa and/or Hardy stay on for the film. Personally I hope they do so I can see Hardy’s directing muscles work on a feature level for Momoa’s own gravitas as an action star.
Do you agree? And if not, who would you like to see cast and in the director’s chair? Comment below or on social media wherever this piece is shared and express your views!
Just a day after finally announcing a director for Relativity Media’s forthcoming reboot of The Crow, word from Den Of Geek brings news that actor Luke Evans may not portray the title role as previously mentioned in May of last year, basically citing lack of time. Evans is one of several names that were ran through the mill for who would take the lead with mentions of Tom Hiddleston and Alexander Skaragaard, and actor Bradley Cooper who at one point was featured on early concept art that never manifested.
It’s been twenty years since filmmaker Alex Proyas’s The Crow drew worldwide success at the box-office. Now, Relativity Media is amid efforts to reboot the original film since plans were intially announced in 2008, plans which have had their share of stops and starts between writers and directors coming and going.
This week however, award-winning filmmaker, music video director and multifaceted artist Corin Hardy is being reported to helm the project for Relativity with producers Ed Pressman, Kevin Misher, Ryan Kavanaugh, Jeff Waxman and Jeff Most, the latter who served as producer for the original film. The plan is to start shooting in Spring with Dracula Untold star, actor Luke Evans currently inheriting the lead role of Eric Draven with a script by Cliff Dorman, while other actors are still pending for other characters.
Based on graphic novel author James O’Barr’s 1989 comic of the same name, the first film featured lead actor and martial artist Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, in the title role of Eric Draven, whose body reawakens, empowered by a mystical crow, to avenge his own death and that of his beloved in order to set the wrong things right. The film subsequently drew an immense cult following and worldwide box office success, purported mostly by news of Lee’s untimely death on the set of the film during a scene after filming most of the movie. Lee was 28.
Other actors to play the title role were Vincent Perez in the theatrical sequel, actors Eric Mabuis and Edward Furlong in the two direct-to-video movies that followed, and martial artist and actor Mark Dacascos in a televised expansion of the role Lee played.
The Ring helmer F. Javier Gutierrez, formally attached to direct, will be executive producing instead along with Tucker Tooley, Bob and Harvey Weinstein and Dan Farah, while O’Barr is currently on board as creative consultant. Hardy’s directorial debut, The Hallow, is set for release next year. In the meantime, you can read more about him at his official website by clicking here.
H/T: Deadline
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