Relativity Media’s repeated attempts to get The Crow out of development and into production finally collapsed earlier this year, when the film lost its most recent director Corin Hardy. Hidden in a new report from Deadline though comes word that Hardy may re-board the comic book adaptation should circumstances change. “There are obstacles still to be overcome and it is possible another studio could come into the mix as an active partner,” the site reads, which is far from a 100% guarantee, but it does open up the possibility for the helmer’s return.
Hardy, following in the footsteps of Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) and Stephen Norrington (Blade), departed after Relativity went bankrupt earlier this year. Once the dust settled on that financial clanger, and with a new president in charge of production, it was decided that the best option would be to wipe the slate clean. That meant no more Hardy, and potentially, the loss of his supporting cast; leading man Jack Huston had already jumped ship after numerous production delays.
If the movie does manage to pull through, it won’t be for some time, as Hardy’s sights on now set on a project over at Paramount entitled Hell-Bent. Written by Mike Finch and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, it’s described as “The Dirty Dozen goes to Hell” – a straight-to-video gem logline if ever we’ve heard one.
While it’s still in the scripting stages, the basic plot follows a group of mercenaries imprisoned in a Brazilian jail who 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. If the world loses another version of The Crow but gets this instead, it sounds like a win for Hardy, and a win for moviegoers.