The Crow: Salvation

Genre: Horror/Science Fiction/Comic Book Adaptation.

Studio: Unknown.
Production Company: Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation.

Project Phase: Development Hell.

Who's In It: Kirsten Dunst (Erin Randall).
Who's Making It: Bharat Nalluri (Director); Chip Johannessen (Screenwriter); Matt Greenberg (Co-Producer).

Premise: A 20-year-old man who's wrongfully sentenced and put to death in the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit. He comes back as the mystical figure known as The Crow to find those who framed him.

Release Date: Unknown.

Developments:

Late August, 1997... Rob Zombie will direct the next Crow film, entitled The Crow: 2037.

Comments: Even though the second film seemed to dissapear from theaters faster than Eric Draven's marriage plans, back in 1995 pre-development for a third Crow film was being discussed. During production of the second film, screenwriter David Goyer mentioned that there were plans afoot to bring back Sarah in a third film as the first female Crow (to be seen.)

Now, following the announcement of Zombie's new direction for the franchise, that story angle has been discarded. Advance word indicates that Zombie's script focuses on the horror aspect of the series.

Rumors: None.

Scoop Feedback:

January-March, 1997... An official annoucement is made by Miramax that the Crow franchise is being revived. Development has begun on both a new film as well as a proposed television series. Although it is still too early in the development process to learn details of the two projects, it looks like Rob Zombie (lead singer of the heavy metal/alternative group White Zombie) may be gearing up to be both the movie's screenwriter and director. Rumor has it the producers were pleased with his music video work and wanted him involved with the next appearance of the dead avenger (Zombie directed the video for I'm Your Boogeyman from the City of Angels soundtrack.) Rumor has it Zombie has been quoted as saying he wants to have the film be completely different in storyline from the first two in the series, throwing out all the baggage except the core Crow mythology. [Scoops sent in by 'widgett', Kyle Clattenburg, 'nog', 'nfmoore', 'g.family' and anonymously.] August 26, 1997... Metal singer Rob Zombie is officially confirmed to direct the third film from his story idea. Titled The Crow: 2037, the film will center on a bounty hunter in the year 2037 who learns that he is actually the latest spirit enfused with the Crow's powers...which happened twenty-seven years ago. Filming is hoped to start this fall. Rob Zombie is working on the film's score together with Nine Inch Nails' Charlie Clouser. [Scooped by 'Spaceboy', Joe Hanna, Christian, 'talldog', 'grubenst', 'corvis666', 'Kilmer10 ', Edward Case, and anonymously.]

To provide some further detail on Zombie's effort into getting this gig, he started writing the script last September just after White Zombie wrapped up its last tour. Also, he's going to be very involved with picking bands to appear on the film's soundtrack. [Sent ot us by Robert Brooks.]

Another email details what the scooper learned at the San Diego Comic Con, including a possible sub-title for the film: 'A New World of Gods and Monsters'. Zombie sported a promo button for the film with artwork done by none other than himself. "Though the film has not been set up with a studio, and may be fiananced via foreign pre-sales, don't count Miramax/Dimension out of the running," said our scooper. A promo button was created using Rob's own artwork and was seen at the con. Though the film has not been set up with a studio, and may be financed via foreign pre-sales, don't count Miramax/Dimension out of the running just yet. they tell us. Also, the scooper mentions that a series of novels is being launched by HarperCollins; these share no continuity with any of the films or comics and are stand alone novels. They will be written by better-known Gothic and horror writers, such as Poppy Z. Brite. James O'Barr, creator of the comic, also is working on a pitch for a fourth film, and Zombie might be involved in a comic series set in the world of the film. [Scoop sent to us anonymously - thanks!]

September 2, 1997... An unconfirmed source 'close to one of the production crew' has revealed that Nine Inch Nails member Trent Renzor will play the new Crow in the third film of the series. Also making the rumor rounds are mentions that the ending will feature a "massive apocalyptic war" where both Jesus Christ and Satan appear to sway the Crow to their side and join them in battle (this sounds just a little too fanboy-wish-fulfilment to us.) [Scoop sent in by 'jd3'. Additional scoops by 'mcgillj', 'wlbennett', 'Lawler', 'The Sungodess' and anonymously.]

September 14, 1997... A report from the DarkEcho online newsletter states that Zombie jumped the gun about helming the third Crow film. According to DarkEcho, Zombie and his agent released the press release without the go-ahead from Ed Pressman and Jeff Most, the producers. Pressman and Most are "highly irritated" about the whole thing. [Scoop sent in by 'Widgett'.]

October 21, 1997... ZENtertainment reports that filming is set to occur in Prague. [Thanks to ZEN for the scoop!]

October 26, 1997... The Crow 2037: World of Gods and Monsters is the new working subtitle for the film. MTV news reported that the $25 million dollar film is a 'futuristic western'. [Sent in by 'kilmer10' and an anonymous source.]

Reports have surfaced that famed Hammer horror films actor Christopher Lee has been approached to appear in the film. [Scooped by 'Dr. Dre' and 'kilmer10'. Miljen Kreka Kljakovic, the production designer of Jean Pierre Jeunet's Delicatessan has been put to work on the production design of the film. [Scooped by Brent Lynch.]

April 5, 1998... There's some confusion as to what the hell's happening with this franchise. From what we've heard there are three different Crow projects in development:

Some of the confusion may be coming from Trent Reznor's camp. Many NIN fans have reported to us that filming of Zombie's film has already happened. The wesbite Reznor's Edge has a pre-production poster featuring Trent Reznor in Crow make-up along with this statement Reznor supposedly made:

We never saw The Crow: 2037 listed anywhere in the trades, nor is there any proof that the 'feature' shot at all. Until we get some solid evidence, we consider it another speculative project. [Thanks to the many NIN, Rob Zombie and Crow fans who helped with this update.]

April 7, 1998... Numerous NIN fans have respond to our April 5th posting telling us the Reznor's Edge isn't the official Reznor web site at all but instead just some loser out to prank the Internet. It seems he's succeeded because it explains why we've been getting all that conflicting email. [Thanks to 'aharvey', 'The Gline', John Winter, 'jsolomon', Randum, 'brandonlee', Lon, and the anonymous bunch for looking out for our asses. As always, much appreciated.]

August 30, 1998... "October 31, 2010. A young boy and his mother are murdered by a dark priest of the Fallen One...and exactly one year later the Crow returns the spirit of the slain child back to Earth to claim vengence. But unsure of himself, the boy forgets about his horrors. Twenty-seven years later, the boy is now a bounty hunter and finally sets foot on the road to reap the Crow's revenge."

But that isn't the new Crow movie you'll eventually see. Everyone's known Rob Zombie was out of the running for the director's job a few months ago but the reasons were somewhat unclear as to why. Even though Pressman was going to take Zombie's new story concept and launch it as its own free-standing film (that would've been unconnected to the Crow universe), Pressman eventually decided it wasn't interested in making the film. Why?

Last week Zombie made an appearance on the Howard Stern Radio Show and spoke about his proposed movie project and the reasons why it crashed and burned. Zombie told Stern he felt that the development process became tangled in red tape and that it was like the movie was being "made by commitee." Zombie was also unhappy that the script was constantly being reworked and changed to reflect popular movie trends (as an example: trying to appel to Scream fans with more teenage characters in the movie.) Zombie felt that this was compromising the viability of the storyline, and in the end he lost his desire to make the film. Unfortunately unbeknownest to Zombie, that's pretty much how today's movies are made.

Zombie's still been keeping busy. He's presently touring to promote his latest album Hellbilly Deluxe. [Thanks to 'kmacmillan' for listening in to Howard's radio show.]

September 24, 1998... Some new fresh new info concerning this project: "The other night on MTV's 120 Minutes, Rob Zombie told Matt Pinfield that he had been contacted by the producers of The Crow 3 and that things were 'Sort of back on again.' " [Scoop provided by 'Zombie Fan']

October 1, 1998... Some good news for Crow fans: "Word is Dimension Films has said "lets do it" to the latest installment of The Crow Series called The Crow: Salvation. The second sequel will follow a new character who returns from death to seek justice and to right the wrongs which thrust him into the afterlife. This project will bear no resemblance to the project originally delivered by Rob Zombie. 'Whereas the others were straight-on vengeance tales, this one includes more of an element of mystery,' Pressman told the Hollywood Reporter in today's edition. Filming on the project, estimated to clock in at around $10 million, is set to being in February with a late 1999 release anticipated." [Scoop provided by 'abahb' first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter]

October 20, 1998... Kirsten Dunst is the first actor cast in The Crow: Salvation. She'll play Erin Randall, the sister of the woman murdered and thought to have been killed by the newly-resurrected Crow, Alex Corvis. Together the two search for the true killer. ['Deadpool', 'Masque' and "Krymson' all chimed in.]



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