As a fervent admirer of cinema and one who has followed the tragic tale of Brandon Lee, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of respect and sorrow for the young talent whose life was cut short by an unfortunate accident on set. The story of “The Crow” is inextricably linked with Lee’s untimely demise, serving as both a testament to his artistry and a grim reminder of the precarious nature of our beloved industry.
Brandon Lee’s demise was a startling and sorrowful event that continues to echo through the legacy of the original “The Crow” film. Though his death has been shrouded in legend and speculation for over two decades, it was an accidental occurrence – one that profoundly impacted numerous lives and influenced the handling of gun safety in the 2024 remake.
On March 31, 1993, Lee tragically passed away during filming. He was portraying Eric Draven’s death scene. In this critical moment, Eric Massee (who played Funboy, one of Top Dollar’s henchmen) was supposed to shoot Lee with blank rounds. Unfortunately, the gun that Massee received had a dummy bullet lodged in its barrel due to an error during manufacturing. Although there was no gunpowder in the fake bullets, the primers had not been removed, which caused this issue. No one checked if the gun was safe before loading it with a new blank round. As Massee fired, the blank propelled the dummy bullet forward, and it exited the gun as if it were a real bullet. Lee received a fatal wound to his abdomen and succumbed to blood loss, heart failure, and internal injuries after six hours of emergency surgery at a nearby hospital.
In the aftermath of Lee’s unfortunate demise, which was determined as a result of negligence, production on the film continued without Brandon. In August 1993, Linda Lee Cadwell, Brandon’s mother, filed a lawsuit against the filmmakers. The case was settled in October under confidential terms. The incident also had a profound effect on the remorseful Massee. Consequently, for the making of “The Crow” in 2024, the producers decided to modify their handling of weapons.
2024’s The Crow didn’t have real guns on its set
Mindful of the potential hazard associated with using live ammunition on set, following tragedies like Brandon Lee and Halyna Hutchins, the 2024 production of “The Crow” opted against using real guns and live rounds. Director Rupert Sanders emphasized this decision, stating that film sets are inherently risky enough without adding weapons into the mix. During his initial meeting with the special effects team and armorer in Prague, who were safety-conscious professionals, he expressed a desire to minimize any potential risks associated with handling weapons.
In Sanders’ production, not just conventional firearms were prohibited, but any prop weapon capable of firing a projectile was banned as well. The weapons displayed in the film are all replicas. As he elaborated, these include Airsoft guns and some decorative pieces that appear functional but lack a firing mechanism. He considered the enhanced safety these measures provided to be justifiable, even if it necessitated additional post-production effects like flashes and smoke, increasing the budget. We’ll see soon enough if this increased investment pays off when the controversial remake of “The Crow” hits theaters on August 23.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-21 23:29