Director of The Crow remake responds to Bill Skarsgård’s film criticism

The director of the remake of The Crow has responded to Bill Skarsgård’s criticism of the film. In this reboot, Skarsgård, known for his role in It, takes on the part originally played by Brandon Lee. Released in cinemas earlier this month, the film has quickly become one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year.

Directed by Rupert Sanders, the film is notable for being the first sequel in the Crow franchise to receive a cinema release since 1996’s The Crow: City of Angels. However, based on the reactions from fans, it might have been wiser to release it on streaming platforms instead of giving it a full theatrical release.

Bill Skarsgård has expressed his dissatisfaction with the final product, particularly with the film’s ending. In an interview with Esquire, he said, “I personally preferred something more definitive,” referring to the film’s closing scenes, which he feels leave things open for a potential sequel.

Rupert Sanders, however, disagrees with Skarsgård’s viewpoint. In comments to Variety, he stated, “Ironically, I don’t think that’s true at all.”

Sanders elaborated: “If there is a sequel down the line, maybe 30 years from now, they’re gonna have to figure out a way to get themselves out of jail a bit because it’s certainly not, ‘What happens next?’ That would be cheap and not the sentiment in which we made the film. Bill and I probably watched five endings together; I probably cut 20 endings.”

Sanders believes that “the editing and the cinema language, instead of words, is really what elevates the film,” adding, “So the ending came out of a lot of trial and error: How do we find this emotional ending? The people you invest in throughout the whole film are not allowed to be together again, but you want this feeling that it all was worth it.”

He continued, “It’s the right ending for the movie, and there’s something very decisive about our ending. It’s not expected, it’s not ‘happy,’ and it’s certainly not like, ‘Wait for the sequel!’”

Fortunately for Skarsgård, the poor box office performance of the film means that any follow-ups are unlikely to be made.