relativity media

By Elisabeth Rappe

Last December, many Goths wept and fans of the late Brandon Lee took to message boards all over our great Internet to protest Stephen Norrington's remake of The Crow. News on the project has been so scarce that you've probably forgotten all about it, or even assumed it was dead and buried. But like its supernatural character, Norrington's Crow is alive and flying and Comics2Film is reporting that Norrington's script has been "very well received" by Relativity Media, and the film is set to go forward with casting. Cue the angry rants.

While the news sparked a lot of angry comments, there were a few fans of James O'Barr's graphic novel who wanted to see a new adaptation that might stay truer to the book. But earlier this summer, Comics2Film ran a rumor that Norrington wasn't going to use the character of Eric Draven, but was inventing a completely new character and storyline for his remake / reboot. Let me stress that little item hasn't been confirmed, but if it's true, it certainly raises the question of "Why bother?" O'Barr fans want their guiding crow and self-mutilation back.

At this point, all we know is that Norrington is aiming to make it "realistic, hard-edged and mysterious, almost documentary-style." Now that I've seen more of the graphic novel (thanks, Google Images), I can't think of a poorer approach to something so deliberately introspective. But who knows? If it's truly a whole new character who just happens to have a crow as a pal, the shaky-cam approach might work just fine.

[via Bloody-Disgusting]

We may not get a superheroine movie any time soon, but after a lot of talk and deal making, Cassandra Hack may finally get her chance to shine and swing away. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hack / Slash has lost the services of Todd Lincoln, and hired the much buzzed about Fredrik Bond.

Tim Seeley and Stefano Caselli's Hack / Slash is a delight whether you're a horror fiend, a comic book lover, or simply a fan of badass heroines. (Or scantily clad ones. Hey, they have to lure in the boys somehow when it dares to star a woman, right? Yes, I'm being sarcastic.) The ongoing series stars Cassandra "Cassie" Hack, a fearless girl who is every Final Girl combined into one kick-ass, baseball bat swinging chick. Her origin story is the stuff that usually spawns a serial killer, as her mother was tired of seeing her little Cassie bullied, and went on a lunchroom killing spree. (Shades of Crystal Lake!) After surviving that, a missing father, and numerous foster homes, Cassie decides to educate herself in the ways of combat, and take on the unpleasant task of hunting and killing all manner of slashers, monsters, and demons. Aiding Cassie in her grisly work is the mysterious, hulking Vlad who sports a gas mask to disguise his appearence. Though she's plenty busy hunting down evil, Cassie still finds some time to question her sexuality, meet potential love interests, and makes new friends, including a hairless demon dog named Pooch. (You wouldn't believe how a beaky, otherworldly dog can tear at your heartstrings.)

What makes the series such a treat for real horror lovers is the way it runs wild with references and cameos. Many of the slashers are thinly veiled versions of Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhees, "real" horror icons have made cameos. She's run into Chucky and H.P. Lovecraft's Reanimator, Herbert West, and one issue had real-life comic authors Steve Niles, Scottie Young, and Robert Kirkman make an appearance.

The movie adaptation has been brewing for some time, with directors coming and going and its Justin Marks script staying. (Considering the way he's lost gigs lately, who would be surprised if this project is the next to get a rewrite?) But Relativity is confident that Bond is their man, and hope the film will begin shooting in the winter as a Rogue Pictures tentpole. Now, will Megan Fox get her wish, and be the one to wield Cassie's bat?

I have a healthy amount of curiosity for Dominic Sena's Season of the Witch. Starring Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, and Stephen Campbell Moore, it's set in the midst of the Black Death. Cage plays a knight given the task of transporting a suspected witch to trial. She's not just any girl unlucky enough to be accused of witchcraft, as the entire bubonic plague is being laid at her feet. Cage suspects the girl to be innocent, but he does his duty, and escorts her to a hallowed place where her innocence or guilt can be proved, and the plague lifted. Naturally, being a story of witchcraft, he and his companions find themselves on a quest battling dark, mysterious forces.

It seems like the film has been shooting forever with only a few stills to show for it, but ShockTillYouDrop now has its release date: March 19, 2010, pitting it against Piranha 3D, for better or worse. Now that it has a release date, maybe we'll finally see a trailer.

As a medievalist, I have a healthy amount of curiosity for this film. I know it has all the marks of a film that'll probably go horribly wrong (mostly Nicolas Cage), but it has some serious story potential. The Black Death was really one of the most terrifying periods in European history. If you've ever seen any of the art or literature from the period, it just reeks of death and despair. (A very eerie example is Geoffery Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale -- read it and you'll know exactly what I mean.) The medieval period is just begging to be used properly in a horror film, and 1348 is one hell of a year to set one in. If Sena could get it half right, I'll feel lucky, and hope that he'll inspire a few copycats who will go all the way.