If you listened to our most recent Big Picture Podcast, you would have heard FBOL Editor-in-Chief Rich Drees wishing he had a new lost cause film to get behind after seeing the long in development Man Who Killed Don Quixote and Happytime Murders hit the big screen. Rich, might I suggest The Crow as a possible replacement lost cause?
Deadline is reporting that lead Jason Momoa and director Corin Hardy have stepped down for the project due to “creative and financial difficulties.” This would be the second time Hardy has left the project in its tumultuous eleven-year production history.
How tumultuous? Here are some highlights from the chaotic development of The Crow remake:
- December 2008: Director Steven Norrington (Blade, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) announces he will write and direct a more “realistic” reimagining of the comic book.
- October 2010: Mark Wahlberg is offered the lead in the reimagining.
- April 2011: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intruders) takes over as director, with Bradley Cooper being eyed for the lead.
- April 2011: The Weinstein Company sues Relativity Media, the former claiming the latter was reneging on a deal to give worldwide distribution to the Weinsteins.
- June 2011: The above lawsuit is sent to arbitration.
- August 2011: Bradley Cooper drops out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.
- October 2011: Director Fresnadillo leaves the project.
- January 2012: F. Javier Gutierrez (Before the Fall) takes over as director.
- February 2013: James McAvoy has been rumored to take over the lead role.
- April 2013: Tom Hiddleston is in talks to star in the film.
- May 2013: Luke Evans is cast in the lead.
- December 2014: Corin Hardy (The Hallow) signs on to direct the film for the first time.
- January 2015: Luke Evans leaves due to consistent delays on the project.
- March 2015: Jack Huston replaces Evans as lead.
- June 2015: The project loses Huston.
- July 2015: Production stalls due to Relativity’s bankruptcy.
- March 2016: Corin Hardy leaves the film for the first time.
- June 2016: Hardy returns to the project.
- August 2016: Jason Momoa confirms that he has signed on to play the lead by posting a picture with him and Hardy at a bar.
- September 2017: The film, now called The Crow Reborn, will be distributed by Sony Pictures. The rights are now owned by Samuel Hadida’s Davis Films. Hadida is on board as a producer and financier of the film.
- March 2018: The film gets a October 11, 2019 release date.
And that pretty much catches us up to date. The film was in pre-production, with filming set to start in Budapest in about five weeks, making it the closest the film has got to actually being made since it was first announced.
Rumor has it that Sony’s distribution deal was never officially completed, and the fact that Hadida had a such a hard time closing that deal was causing Sony to get cold feet. And Sony’s decision to possibly walk away from the deal brought about Momoa and Hardy jumping ship.
It might be in bad taste to call the property cursed after what happened during the filming of the original, but there does seem to be powerful forces working against the project. The film appears now to be toxic, with Hadida being pinned with losing Sony, Momoa and Hardy. It will be hard for him to set up shop elsewhere and find a new star and director.
