The Crow Is Hitting Digital Just Three Weeks After Theatrical Run

The Crow remake, starring Bill Skarsgård, fell short of the classic original film for many, and after a poor box office debut, it’s already heading to digital platforms. Three weeks after it made its dismal theatrical debut, The Crow finds itself looking to attract a wider audience interested in the big-budget remake of the beloved 1994 film. If paying a premium price to view the maligned film in theaters feels unreasonable, perhaps viewers will be more inclined to check it out at home.

Lionsgate, which is on a bit of a bad box office hot-streak, has announced that The Crow will be heading to premium video on demand September 13, 2024. There is no word if the film will soon be on any specific streaming platform, such as Netflix, where many poorly-reviewed films tend to find new fans in the digital afterlife. Directed by Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell), The Crow follows Eric Draven (Bill Skarsgård) as an undead man gifted with supernatural abilities meant to avenge his true love Shelly Webster (FKA Twigs), after both are brutally murdered by a demonic crime lord played by Danny Huston. A modern retelling of the original film starring Brandon Lee, the 2024 version does just enough to differentiate itself from past adaptations, but falls well short of expectations.

The Crow Remake Finds Its Fans

Many have discarded the film as a wholly unnecessary remake, but The Crow has already found some success among general audiences. Despite a rotten 22% rating from critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences have scored the film high enough to be considered fresh at 64%. Of course, this is not a clear-cut indication that people generally like the movie (a lot of people did not), but it could hint as to its potential reawakening on digital platforms. Much like the titular character, The Crow is looking to redeem itself through resurrection, and going where audiences are actively streaming films that performed poorly at the box office is a good start.

It’s hard to find those who appreciate the modern version of The Crow, but there is reason to believe it will eventually find more fans. Bill Skarsgård plays the tragic protagonist more than well enough, and has a surprising amount of chemistry with FKA Twigs, as the film tries very hard for audiences to care about their relationship and subsequent thirst for vengeance. Moreover, the ending truly attempts to subvert expectations and create a different ending, one that even Skarsgård was unsure about. There is also a very neat action sequence near the end of the film, which plays with Eric Draven’s healing powers in some pretty creative ways.