It looks as if ‘The Crow‘ reboot may soon be without a director again as Corin Hardy (‘The Hallow’) is getting ready to pull out due to delays on production. This is the latest in the string of bad news for the film though it seems that Relativity Media hitting bankruptcy is what will be the final nail in its coffin. While the studio was still trying to push forward on ‘The Crow,’ one of their production teams and several department heads had left the project and studio which has put pre-production into a tailspin.
With Relativity getting ready to sell the company which could have still financed the film and allowed it to move forward, producer Edward R. Pressman just threw a huge wrench in that plan. He has filed a creative objection for ‘The Crow’ to not be included in Relativity’s assets. Clearly the reason he is doing that is because if principal photography isn’t complete within 18 months the rights to ‘The Crow’ will end up back with Pressman and that is what he is clearly angling to have done.
His objection states that the studio invested $7 million in the film and will need at least $10 to $12 million more to get the film into at least 1,000 screens which fulfills the first part of their contract. However, he doesn’t think that they’ll be able to do that as they had just filed for bankruptcy. Currently the studio’s rights also include the option for work on any sequels, prequels, and remakes. If they can push the film out that gives them quite a lucrative long term plan for the franchise even if it were to just allow for another studio to instantly reboot it.
No wonder Pressman wouldn’t want the studio to be able to include ‘The Crow’ in their sale price as without it whoever buys the studio can’t rush out a film in time. The objection itself might even push the sale back far enough so that funding just couldn’t happen.
Since the film recently switched directors to Hardy and hasn’t had a star since Jack Huston left the project it would be hard for them to line up a full cast and crew at this point as it is. Seems like Relativity may have made a mistake by turning down finance offers from studios since they were banking on being able to pull this off on their own. Of course, even if the studio has it fall through, James O’Barr has no problems taking the rights somewhere else with Pressman.
Would you have wanted to see a reboot of ‘The Crow’? With the losses and delays the studio has already suffered over the film should they just give up or fight to have their vision made? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Slash Film
