If ever there was a movie that couldn’t take a hint, it’s thisThe Crowremake. The universe has been trying nudge the good folks at Relativity away from this film for the last few years with a regularly rotating door of attached actors inLuke Evans,Tom Hiddleston,James McAvoy,Bradley Cooper, andJack Huston, and a similar succession of directors includingStephen Norrington,Juan Carlos Fresnadillo,F. Javier Gutierez, and most recently,Corin Hardy(The Hallow).
Then the studio itself took a dive, filing for bankruptcy last year, but Hardy and comic creatorJames O’Barrcontinued to insist that the film was definitely happening. Finally, in the last update from the beleaguered project, producerEd Pressmanfired Hardy off the project, sparking a legal battle with the studio, who claimed the move undermined years of creative and financial investment in the film. Whew. Got all that?
Welp, now it seems Hardy might end up directing the movie after all.Deadlinereports that “there might be a thaw” in the battle for the remake which could put Hardy back in the director’s chair, though the report notes that there are still obstacles to overcome and another studio may step into the mix as an active partner.
In the meantime, Hardy will directHell Bentfor Paramount, withLorenzo di BonaventuraandMark Vahradianproducing. Deadline describes the project as “The Dirty Dozen goes to hell,” and provides this killer logline: “a group of mercenaries imprisoned in a Brazilian jail are murdered and led into the depths of hell by a priest who wishes to use their skills to kill Satan before he brings hell to Earth.” I will watch this movie. What’s even more exciting is thatHell Bentwill see a return to old-school franchise building with a moderate $60 million budget that won’t hinge on star power, but a cast of up-and-comers. I made an entreaty that the industry see a return tomid-budget action moviesafter the success ofDeadpool, and I sincerely hope Paramount’s move withHell Bentis a predictor of a larger industry trend.
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