Mark Wahlberg Will Not Star in Remake of “The Crow”

Mark Wahlberg Will Not Star in Remake of “The Crow”

Movie News

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

A reboot of “The Crow,” based on the cult graphic novel by James O’Barr, has been in development for some time now. Recently, it looked as though actor Mark Wahlberg would take over the character previously played by the late Brandon Lee (who died on set as a result of a prop malfunction). Fortunately, it looks as though Marky Mark has decided to opt out of the project.

Speaking with Cinematical, Wahlberg said, "We never committed to making the movie. They talked to me about it and there was a director attached who I was a fan of, and he's no longer doing it. We just thought about it – 'is there something cool to be done there?' But we're not committed to making the movie."

The director to whom Wahlberg is referring may be Stephen Norrington, who previously adapted “Blade” and “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman” for the big screen. He’d been setting his sights on “The Crow” for his next project, but recent reports from Mania indicate that he is no longer interested in directing the film

The news of Wahlberg’s decision not to be involved comes as something of a relief to fans of the source material. He’s certainly a capable actor, but the last time he made a movie about a man going on a violent rampage to avenge the murder of his loved ones, we got “Max Payne.” Not exactly the definition of cinematic excellence.

A reboot of “The Crow” still has potential for success--as adored as the first film is, it’s actually not a completely faithful adaptation of the comic. However, the producers need to find a star capable of performing extreme acts of violence while still managing to appear sensitive. Brandon Lee was able to pull it off, but Mark Wahlberg may come across as two macho for the role.

Of course, there will always be some purists who feel that a reboot will tarnish the legacy of the original film. With this movie currently stuck in development Hell, maybe they don’t have all that much to worry about.