The cult film The Crow is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Since its premiere, however, it has been overshadowed by the tragic accidental death of the lead actor. Another actor was unable to watch the film for years because of this.
Which actor is being referred to? Ernie Hudson played the police officer Sergeant Daryl Albrecht in The Crow. Some of you might know him from Ghostbusters, where he played the character Winston Zeddemore alongside Bill Murray. He is also seen in this role in the new films, such as the current Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
The Crow is a film that Hudson remembers with mixed feelings. The main reason is the tragic death of leading actor Brandon Lee.
“I can’t get over it”
What happened back then? A tragic accident occurred on set during the filming of The Crow. The lead actor, Brandon Lee, was hit by a live bullet in a critical scene and died from his injuries.
In fact, the ammunition should not have been real. This case also reminds us of the accident and death of a cinematographer on the set of the yet-to-be-released Rust, where Alec Baldwin accidentally fired a fatal weapon (via nytimes.com)
Due to Lee’s death, it was initially unclear whether The Crow would even be released in theaters. However, after the investigations were completed, the filmmakers decided to go ahead and filmed the missing scenes using body doubles and visual effects.
Actor Ernie Hudson was very affected by the events, as he told in 2021 in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He cannot watch the film and states: “I can’t get over it.”
Has he changed his mind since then? In a conversation with GamesRadar+, Hudson spoke again about the film. His attitude has since changed.
He is now very grateful to have been part of The Crow, even though the experience was anything but pleasant.
Well, that’s very hard for me. I love The Crow and am so grateful that I was a part of it – and I say that now after all these years. So far, it has been very, very difficult.
Ernie Hudson via gamesradar+
What’s next for The Crow? A reboot of the film is set to be released in theaters in 2024. This time, Lee’s role of “Draven” will be played by Bill Skarsgård. Horror fans know him as Pennywise in the remake of Stephen King’s IT.
Ernie Hudson, however, will not be involved again and generally looks skeptically at the upcoming film. For him, the role of Draven is inextricably linked with Brandon Lee. Therefore, he will not watch the new film. He is all the more grateful to be part of the cult classic from the 90s. Even after thirty years, it remains one of the toughest action films – MeinMMO also recommends it for hardcore film fans.
