After spending years in development hell, it looks like The Crow franchise will finally be reborn with Corin Hardy's The Crow Reborn. That said, it seems like one key member of the original doesn't want to return. Last night I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ernie Hudson at an event celebrating the launch of a new Ghostbusters-themed line of Reebok Classics for Stranger Things Season 2. We eventually took a break from everyone's favorite paranormal hunters to talk about one of our favorite paranormal heroes, and Hudson admitted that he's not interested in reprising his role as Albrecht because, in his eyes, The Crow character ends with the death of Brandon Lee. Hudson tells us:
Well, that's a little harder because as much as I love The Crow, it breaks my heart what happened to Brandon and so I, yeah that would be hard to do. I mean, I saw Brandon as The Crow, and I can't imagine, I mean I know it's a franchise. I know the studio will want to make money, but as far as I'm concerned, Brandon was The Crow and yeah, that's a whole different thing. I love the movie, but it's not a Ghostbusters. Brandon, that would be hard to do. I haven't been asked to do it.
This is not an uncommon attitude among many fans of the original entry in The Crow franchise. The death of Brandon Lee (the result of a malfunctioning prop gun) has become an infamous moment in film history, and it has cast a notable shadow over the legacy of The Crow. Ernie Hudson recognizes that The Crow is a franchise that has persisted in the wake of Lee's death, but returning to his role as Albrecht might prove a bit too emotional for him if Sony asks him to do so.
Personally, I do have to say that it was powerful to sit across from Ernie Hudson and hear him say those words. There's quite a bit of fan excitement about a properly handled version of The Crow Reborn (particularly if Aquaman's Jason Momoa remains attached as the film's lead), but speaking to Ernie Hudson about it conveys the sense that the passing of Brandon Lee has genuinely weighed on him. It certainly helps put some of the opposition to a remake into perspective.
Of course, Ernie Hudson isn't naïve about the nature of show business. He continued our conversation by explaining that, if he does show up in The Crow sequel, it will be because the check cleared. Hudson explained:
Now, I'm an actor. I have a price. But if you see me in that movie, you'll know it was because of the money. They've done two or three others, but I think Brandon was The Crow, and fans love him. I'm very honored to have been in his last movie, but I don't think I'd want to do it.
As The Crow Reborn continues to develop at Sony Pictures, CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant updates related to the project. Until then, you can take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide, and check out Stranger Things' awesome homage to Ghostbusters when the hit series returns to Netflix on October 27.
Beyond that, click over to the next page to see even more photos from last night's Ghostbusters/Stranger Things shoe launch in Los Angeles!
