‘Watchmen’s’ Alex Tse Hired To Pen ‘The Crow’ Remake

“Watchmen” co-writer Alex Tse has officially been signed to pen Relativity Media’s “The Crow,” a reboot hoping to reinvent James O’Barr’s Eric Draven character originally played by Brandon Lee in 1994.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) and tentatively starring Bradley Cooper the reboot is expected to be “gritty” and dark like the original. Which would make the most sense considering it’s a gothy tale about a guy who comes back from the dead seeking vengeance. “Beatlejuice,” “The Crow” ain’t that’s for sure.

Tse, did a pretty good job condensing and adapting the wordiness of Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” for the big screen, so I have high hopes that he’d do his thing for “The Crow.”

Check out the full press release by Relativity Media:
(Beverly Hills, CA) June 22, 2011 – Relativity Media’s President of Worldwide Production, Tucker Tooley, and Edward R. Pressman, producer behind the cult-classic The Crow franchise, announced today they have attached Alex Tse (Watchmen) to write their reinvention of The Crow, the 1994 critically acclaimed, sensation based on the comic book series and comic strip by James O’Barr.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), The Crow adaptation will be a gritty reboot of the gothic iconic character Eric Draven, who returns from the grave as The Crow on a mission to avenge his wife’s murder, so that his soul can finally rest. Bradley Cooper (Limitless) is attached to star as Draven. The original film is known for its breakthrough visual style as well as its unique production design and cinematography. Fresnadillo and Tse are perfectly suited to bring these beloved characters back to life, and to create a world worthy of this modern classic.

Relativity and Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation will be teaming with Spain-based Apaches Entertainment on the production. The Crow is being produced by Edward R. Pressman, Jeff Most, Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, and Apaches’ Enrique López Lavigne and Belén Atienza. Relativity’s Tooley (The Fighter) and Apaches’ Jesus de la Vega will serve as executive producers. José Ibáñez and Pressman Film Corporation’s Jon Katz will serve as co-producers.

Tse is represented by CAA, Margaret Riley at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and attorney Ira Scheck of Schreck Rose & Dapello.

Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011 and then the highly-anticipatedImmortals on November 11, 2011, starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans and Kellan Lutz with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke. The studio is in production on its Untitled Snow White Project (in theatres March 16, 2012), starring Lily Collins as Snow White, Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen, Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen. Relativity’s expansive 2012 slate also includes itsHaywire (in theaters January 20, 2012), Untitled Raven Project (in theatres March 9, 2012), Untitled Farrelly/Wessler Project(in theatres April 13, 2012), House at the End of the Street (in theatres April 20, 2012), Safe Haven (in theatres June 1, 2012) and Hunter Killer (in theatres December 21, 2012). The studio recently announced the groundbreaking action-thriller Act of Valor will join its 2012 slate, with an exact date to be announced.