Jack Huston Departs 'The Crow'

When it comes to the new adaptation of The Crow that Hollywood has been trying to do for years, you have to wonder if the project is cursed by the ghost of Brandon Lee.

That's not to say the franchise's legacy is on solid ground (three really bad direct-to-video films followed the original), but it's starting to become apparent that maybe the 1994 classic should be left alone to age like a fine wine.

Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) - who was set to star just three short months ago - has dropped out of the project due to 'scheduling issues'. This comes after Luke Evans (Dracula Untold) - who had been attached to star for almost two years - dropped out back in January because he was tired of waiting and wanted to pursue other projects. Not only that, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) was supposed to direct, then unknown director J. Javier Gutierrez, with newcomer Corin Hardy signing on to helm back in December (do we start the countdown now of when he'll go?).

This news all comes after things were starting to look up for the project with Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion) being eyed to play the film's villain just last month, and Academy Award winner himself, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), entering talks today for an unspecified role.

The director, Hardy, had this to say regarding Huston's departure:

“Jack Huston is unfortunately unavailable to continue with us on ‘The Crow'. [It] is an amazing project, and I am grateful that we have the time and patience to get it right. We look forward to unveiling our new lead and starting to film over the next several weeks.”

I'm not sure if it's 'creative differences' the numerous lead actors are having with the studio but it's very obvious this project is troubled and has been through the ringer in terms of getting it on track. Word is that the studio, Relativity, is now looking at Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) and Jack O'Connell (Unbroken), among others, as replacements. O'Connell definitely has the talent, but I'm not sure if he's the right guy for this role. Same for Hoult.

Relativity actually released a statement regarding Huston's departure too:

“Jack is a remarkably gifted actor, and we look forward to working with him in the future. Corin Hardy has a tremendous vision for ‘The Crow,’ and we are working closely with him to continue prepping the movie and supporting him as he brings his vision to the bigscreen.”

The studio is definitely persistent in getting this film made and, who knows, it could end up being a solid movie. I think they really need to score a good lead for the film and get production underway. Once some promo pics are released, maybe with a effective trailer, things can start to turnaround.

Until then...

Source: Variety