BILL SKARSGÅRD AND FKA TWIGS SET TO STAR IN LEADING ROLES
Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghost in the Shell, Foundation) will direct a modern reimagining of The Crow, it was announced today by the film’s producers, with Bill Skarsgård (It franchise) and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter FKA twigs (Honeyboy) starring in leading roles. The revenge thriller is written by Academy Award-nominated Zach Baylin (King Richard) and is based on the original graphic novel of the beloved character that was created, written and illustrated by James O’Barr.
The Crow will be produced by Victor Hadida (Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises), Molly Hassell (Braven starring Jason Momoa, Terminal starring Margot Robbie), John Jencks (Honest Thief, Guns Akimbo) and Edward R. Pressman (The Crow starring Brandon Lee, Academy Award-winner Wall Street, American Psycho). Production companies are Hassell Free Productions, Electric Shadow Company, Davis Films, and Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation, in association with 30WEST.
CAA Media Finance is handling the film’s domestic distribution rights.
“The Crow is beautiful, dark, poetic and sometimes disturbing,” says director Rupert Sanders. “It is a story of love, loss, grief and revenge. It is a great honor to revisit James O’Barr’s iconic comic and reimagine The Crow as a foreboding voice of today.”
“When Rupert approached us with his vision for the film, we saw immediately it is an exhilarating, modern story for audiences unlike anything we’ve experienced yet in cinema. Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs are a perfect fit for that vision,” said producer Molly Hassell.
“The Crow has long held an important space in my life,” said Producer Ed Pressman. “I believe Rupert’s vision and the script he’s developed with Zach and our great partners is going to hit home for the ‘Crow’ fan base and invigorate a new generation to O’Barr’s story of eternal love and redemption. Rupert’s vision is full of pathos and I can’t wait to see The Crow in action and on the screen.”
Victor Hadida added, “Bringing to a new generation this iconic property is truly exciting. I am also grateful that we are now able to realize the vision of my late brother Samuel, who was deeply committed to bringing this wonderful story to the big screen and contemporary audiences.”
The Crow is a modern reimagining of the titular character, based on the graphic novel series by James O’Barr that was first published by Caliber Comics in 1989. Director Alex Proyas brought the story to the screen in 1994’s The Crow, which starred the late Brandon Lee, and became a cult classic. The original film and its sequels continue to be distributed around the world.
Rupert Sanders directed Universal’s worldwide box office hit Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth, and Paramount’s action film Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson. An award-winning commercials director, Sanders received two Golden Lions for his work on “The Life,” in support of the classic video game Halo 3: ODST. Most recently he directed the pilot episode of the successful Apple TV+ science fiction series “Foundation” starring Jared Harris. Sanders is repped by CAA, Grandview, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Bill Skarsgård played Pennywise in Warner Bros.’ horror franchise It, based on the Stephen King novel. He also voiced the Deviant Kro in Marvel’s Eternals and starred as Zeitgeist in Deadpool 2. He will next be seen in Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4 starring Keanu Reeves. Skarsgård is repped by WME, Magnolia Entertainment, and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman.
Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter FKA twigs is the Grammy Award-nominated artist whose innovative and genre defying music has cemented her as a unique talent in today’s music landscape. FKA twigs made her feature film acting debut as Shy Girl in Amazon’s Honeyboy. Twigs is repped by UTA.
Writer Zach Baylin’s spec feature King Richard was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film received an impressive six Oscar nominations as well as four nominations for the 2022 BAFTAs. Currently, Baylin is finishing up work on the third installment of the Creed franchise at MGM starring Michael B. Jordan and the Bob Marley biopic at Paramount reuniting with King Richard director Rei Green. Baylin is repped by CAA and Grandview.
ABOUT HASSELL FREE PRODUCTIONS
Hassell Free Productions has produced and/or financed more than 20 critically acclaimed films to date, including noir crime thriller Terminal starring Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg and Mike Myers; action thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa and Stephen Lang; Jon Avnet’s Three Christs starring Richard Gere, Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins and Bradley Whitford; and thriller The Trust starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood. The company’s most recent productions include Endangered Species, an action drama set in the grasslands of Kenya starring Rebecca Romijn, Philip Winchester, and Jerry O’Connell and action thriller Rogue starring Megan Fox, both directed by MJ Bassett.
ABOUT THE ELECTRIC SHADOW COMPANY
The Electric Shadow Company is a film production and finance company based in London, established in 2005. The first feature film ESC produced was The Fold in 2013. ESC went on to produce The Hippopotamus based on Stephen Fry’s comic novel, which had its international theatrical release in 2017. As executive producers, productions include: Carol Morley’s Out of Blue (2018), the Daniel Radcliffe-starring Guns Akimbo (2020), SAS: Red Notice (2021) based on Andy McNab’s action thriller, Drew Barrymore-starring The Stand In (2021) and Liam Neeson-starring Honest Thief (2021).
ABOUT DAVIS FILMS
Davis Films, based in Paris, is one of the world’s leading independent production companies and has been directly involved in the production of over forty feature films. Along with leading French distributor Metropolitan FilmExport, Davis Films was owned and managed by Samuel and Victor Hadida for many years. Following Samuel’s passing in 2018, the companies remain under ownership of the Hadida family and Victor’s management.
The first Davis production was Tony Scott’s True Romance, based on a Quentin Tarantino script. Davis also teamed with Scott years later for Domino, starring Keira Knightley. Davis is also known for its successful adaptations of Japanese Manga and videogames, asCrying Freeman, the Resident Evil franchise co-produced with Constantin, and the Silent Hill franchise.
ABOUT PRESSMAN FILM
Founded in 1969, Pressman Film is a leading global independent production company producing more than 90 world-class motion pictures and launching the careers of several of the most prominent figures in the worldwide film industry. Notable films include Mary Harron’s American Psycho, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street, Jason Reitman’s Thank You For Smoking, Terrence Malick’s Badlands, John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian, Charles Burnett’s To Sleep with Anger, Brian DePalma’s Phantom of the Paradise, and The Crowfranchise amongst others. Recent Pressman productions include Barry Levinson’s Paterno, Keith Maitland’s documentary Dear Mr Brody, Charlotte Colbert’s debut feature She Will and Mary Harron’s Daliland starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Ezra Miller. Pressman Film has established a philosophy supporting director’s visions while balancing independent spirit and studio blockbusters.
Located in Los Angeles and led by veteran producer Edward R. Pressman, the Pressman Film team includes COO & Head of Business Affairs Paula Paizes, Vice Presidents of Production Kelly McKee and Samuel Pressman, Communications and Special Projects head Annie Pressman and Executive Assistant Jacob Wishnek.
