It’s a bird, it’s a plane – it’s Bill Skarsgård with the strangest set of wings we’ve ever seen in the latest poster for The Crow. Believing you can fly is one thing, but Skarsgård is taking it to an entirely new level in the image which features his character, Eric Draven, with his arms wide open and his duster wide open. Surrounding both arms are two rather large murders of crows, melded together à la the swords that make up The Iron Throne, with one bird smashed into the next – someone call PETA!

With his black jacket blowing in the breeze, the actor’s chest pops out, displaying his tattoos and giving us a closer look at some of the artistic decisions. While the all-seeing eye may have been what stood out in the past, this time around we’re loving the “GOOD BOY” script that has the word “GOOD” crossed out. Of course, Skarsgård’s character is dripping in plenty of face makeup to pull the dramatic brooding look together.

Fans of the Alexander Proyas cult-classic 1994 film and the James O’Barr-created comic series that inspired it have been pretty hesitant when it comes to Sanders’ film. It’s completely easy to understand why, when images like today’s poster give the movie more of a campy vibe than most are comfortable with. Sure, the character originated on film by the late Brandon Lee was oozing with a dramatic edge, but could this version take it over the line? The project has been a long time in the making and may end up being a cautionary tale of “be careful what you wish for” as what was first the dream of many fans could quickly turn into a nightmare that some are concerned will besmirch the final project of Lee’s tragically short-lived career and life.

How Will This Film Compare To The Last One?

For the most part, this question will need to wait until the movie comes to nest in cinemas to discover how closely Rupert Sanders’ film sticks to the material put forth by O’Barr. What we do know is that the plot will follow the same vengeful tale that made the character so popular in the first place. After a gang of ruthless thugs murders both him and his beloved fiancée, Shelly (FKA twigs), Eric is brought back from the afterlife to rain down vengeance on his killers. Now an immortal being with the moniker of The Crow, Eric will prove to be a monstrous piece of karma for the villains. The movie will also feature performances from Danny Huston (American Horror Story: Coven) and Isabella Wei (1899). In the last film, the character of Shelly was a marginally small role, but from what we’ve seen in teasers and other promo spots, it looks like FKA twigs’ version will take more of a front seat.

The movie lands in cinemas on August 23.

via Collider