Even though the film would have become a cult classic anyway based purely on its artistic merits, The Crow will always be defined by the tragedy that occurred on set.
The death of Brandon Lee from a gunshot wound that could have been avoided had the requisite safety precautions been carried out was ruled to be an accident, but one that never should have happened. Even though the leading man had been killed, though, production carried on to finish the movie.
Lee’s Eric Draven was replaced by a combination of body doubles and digital effects, with his stand-in making their feature film debut in the process. They were credited as Chad Storelson but eventually made their own name as a stunt performer and director under their real name of Chad Stahelski.
After making his directorial debut with John Wick, Stahelski has gone on to helm all three of the sequels in the billion-dollar Keanu Reeves franchise. His approach to handling the multitude of firearms and the way they’re handled on set was influenced by The Crow.
In an interview with Yahoo, the filmmaker explained that the incident impacted him not just personally but professionally when he eventually stepped behind the camera to make his first movie. It was one where guns weren’t just prevalent but a key part of the story, characters, and world he was creating.
“Brandon’s accident was a lot of little dumb things that got by, but it’s groupthink. All the people involved were very, very smart. You just get tired. You make one little mistake. It compounds. You know why car accidents happen? Car accidents happen to lawyers. They happen to fucking rocket scientists; you do one little stupid thing like spill a drink, comb your hair, check the mirror, fucking text, and you’re dead,” he said.
Adding: “Granted, it was a safety standard that definitely changed the industry with firearms. You know where that leads to? John Wick is 90% guns, firearms. A lot of the safety or the methodology we use, it came about because of that accident.”
When it was suggested the similarities carry through to both The Crow and the first John Wick being action movies about grief, Stahelski agreed by admitting that it would be an entirely different type of film were Reeves not on board. He compared the actor to Lee and the way in which they carried themselves.
“Okay, here’s my question back at you,” he continued. “Let’s say we put anybody else in the movie that wasn’t Keanu Reeves. Same movie? So the answer is, ‘Yeah, it would be a different movie.’ They’re close. They carry a natural empathy.”
Stahelski maintains “there’s no reason to have a live firearm on set,” and given his experience and the popularity of the John Wick saga, it’s hard to argue. However, he has his suspicions as to why the industry has yet to make the change. “It comes down to the fact that it would cost certain people a great deal of money to switch over. No one wants to say that, but that’s the real reason. You don’t need firearms. The alternative is just going to cost you more money.”
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