The Crow Reboot Release Date, Plot, Cast, Trailer And More Details

"The Crow" hit theaters in 1994, but in many ways, it feels like a modern movie. This dark fable, which is based on the comic series of the same name, follows Eric Draven, a young musician who is murdered, along with his fiancée, by a vicious gang. But death is only the beginning of this story. When a crow lands on his tombstone, Eric is resurrected as an unstoppable warrior, bent on revenge. What ensues are gritty, hard-edged superheroics that foretell projects like "The Dark Knight," "Logan," and "Watchmen."

In the years since its debut, "The Crow" has become a cult classic. Rumors of a reboot began to bubble in 2008, piquing fans' interest. Though many different names were attached to the project, nothing much came of it for more than a decade — until now. Once again, Eric Draven is returning to the land of the living to dazzle us with a new take on "The Crow," and we have all the info you need to get ready for him.

"The Crow" reboot has a long and complex history. A truly enormous list of names have been attached to it over the course of the last decade, including Nick Cave, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Hiddleston, Kristen Stewart, and Jason Momoa. Bankruptcy has threatened the project, as have creative differences. But now, after so many years of turmoil, the reboot has finally found a release date.

"The Crow" was originally set to hit theaters on June 7, 2024, where it would've been competing against the behemoth of "Bad Boys 4." However, Eric Draven's dark tale eventually decided to move back a couple of months. Now, this new take on a beloved property will flap its wings into theaters on August 23, 2024.

Do you love great movies about epic acts of revenge? Then 2024's "The Crow" will most likely be up your alley. Based on the comic series by James O'Barr, this new version of "The Crow" will tell the tragic story of Eric Draven and Shelly Webster — soulmates whose lives are torn apart. Per the official plot synopsis, these lovers are "brutally murdered when the demons of [Shelly's] dark past catch up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right."

Elaborating on the film a bit more, Lionsgate executive Charlotte Koh offered an evocative glimpse of the future by noting in a statement, "We appreciate what the Crow character and original movie mean to legions of fans and believe this new film will offer audiences an authentic and visceral reinterpretation of its emotional power and mythology." The producers went on to add, "The original film left an indelible mark on our culture that lives on. We are thrilled to bring a new adaptation for today's audiences that respects this legacy. [Director Rupert Sanders] has masterfully brought new dimensions to create a contemporary universe for this timeless saga of undying love, and we can't wait to share this vision with film audiences."

1994's "The Crow" is synonymous with its leading man, Brandon Lee, who died during filming. The star who follows him has huge shoes to fill — and luckily, he's up to the task. "It" star Bill Skarsgård will play Eric Draven in the 2024 reboot. His signature mastery of all things spooky promises to suit this role well. Multitalented musician and actress FKA Twigs will play Shelly Webster, Eric's dearly departed fiancée. Rumor has it that this role will be significantly larger in the reboot, which would suit a performer of Twigs' caliber.

Beyond these two names, we know that Isabella Wei ("1899") will play a new character named Zadie, while Danny Huston ("Yellowstone"), Sami Bouajila ("The Siege"), Laura Birn ("Foundation"), and Jordan Bolger ("The Woman King") will play currently undisclosed parts. We don't know much about the roles they'll play in the proceedings, but we're definitely excited to learn more.

A veritable legion of directors have been attached to the "Crow" reboot. But eventually, one victor emerged: Rupert Sanders. 2024's "The Crow" will be the English director's third feature film, after "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Ghost in the Shell." The former is an edgy take on the classic fairy tale, while the latter is a controversial adaptation of the classic cyberpunk manga series of the same name. Though they're fairly different, they evidence Sanders' devotion to visually stylized genre fiction — which is pretty much the most important thing a "Crow" director needs to have.

These two films also share a dark and moody sensibility that will suit "The Crow" perfectly. Though "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Ghost in the Shell" take place in a dangerous fantasy kingdom and a neon-soaked metropolis respectively, both tales focus on the shadows of their civilizations, whether they lurk in the hearts of their rulers or the city streets. "The Crow" is probably one of the most shadowy movies ever made, which makes Sanders an ideal fit.

The screenplay of 2024's "The Crow" comes courtesy of Zach Baylin. Baylin, who spent years working as a production assistant and in the art department on projects like "Girls" and "Boardwalk Empire," has mustered an incredibly impressive filmography in just a handful of years. His first major screenwriting credit came from the vivid biopic "King Richard." He followed this up by serving as a writer on sports dramas "Creed III," "Gran Turismo," and "Bob Marley: One Love," which will hit theaters in 2024. "The Crow" is poised to be another feather in his increasingly festooned hat. 

William Josef Schneider will also serve as a writer on "The Crow." While his filmography is less developed, his presence on the similarly spooky "Return to Silent Hill" bodes well for Eric Draven's story.

The official trailer for "The Crow" opens with intense passion as we watch the incredibly sexy chemistry between Eric Draven and Shelly Webster. "You feel like my person," Eric tells her, but no good thing lasts forever. After Shelly witnesses something she never should've seen, an incredibly creepy Danny Huston has the young lovers murdered, sending Eric into an afterlife of abandoned buildings, watery depths, and ominous black birds. Granted the gift of a god, we then see him return to life in order to deliver some underworld justice. No matter how many bullets he takes, Eric Draven keeps on ticking — motivated not by anger but by love. The trailer promises something dark and bloody with, hopefully, a light at the end of a long, black tunnel.

"The Crow" might be based on a comic book series, but it's no Marvel movie. The original 1994 film is rated R, and the 2024 reboot will be as well. This rating is well deserved, as anyone who's at all familiar with the source material can attest: "The Crow" is a bloody, gritty, shadowy tale of vengeance from beyond the grave. People get shot, beaten, and impaled in the original movie, and they'll meet similar fates in the reboot. After all, that kind of action is prominent in the 2024 film's trailer, with heads getting blasted open by guns and people being suffocated to death.

But the rating goes beyond violence. "The Crow" takes place in the world's margins, where drugs, cruelty, and exploitation run rampant. The reboot isn't going to change this setting — it's pretty much in the story's DNA. Man's inhumanity to man is the point here, and that's just not the sort of theme that inspires G, PG, or even PG-13 content. In addition to the strong violence, gore, and drug use, the movie has earned its rating thanks to language and sexuality/nudity.