Lionsgate
Released in May 1994, Alex Proyas’ “The Crow,” a film adaptation of the comic series by James O’Barr, is still remembered to this day for its tragic backstory. The film gained notoriety when an accident involving a prop gun resulted in the death of lead actor Brandon Lee, adding a somber tone to the dark, revenge-driven film. The prop gun was loaded with “dummy” bullets, which are typically used for close-up shots of guns. These bullets have shells and bullets but lack gunpowder, meaning they can’t be fired.
During filming, the prop gun was fired, causing the dummy bullet to become lodged in the barrel. Later, the same gun was loaded with blanks for a firefight scene. Blanks, unlike dummy bullets, contain gunpowder and can cause a real explosion. Tragically, when the blank was fired, it dislodged the stuck bullet, which then hit Brandon Lee, causing fatal injuries.
Despite the tragedy, the film was completed using Brandon Lee’s stunt double, future “John Wick” director Chad Stahelski, and was released posthumously. The incident caused much grief among the film crew and the public, leading O’Barr to regret creating “The Crow.” The tragedy was not forgotten by the creators of the new “The Crow” adaptation starring Bill Skarsgård, who decided to ban real guns on set, as reported by Variety.
The Crow, Rust, and gun safety on set
Dimension Films
Rupert Sanders, the director of the new “The Crow” adaptation, had to consider two tragedies while filming. In addition to Brandon Lee’s death during the filming of the 1994 film, the “Rust” incident from October 2021 was fresh in people’s minds. Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” after firing a prop gun that hadn’t been properly checked. This incident reignited the debate about the use of real guns on film sets and the need for stricter safety measures.
With these incidents in mind, Sanders decided to implement a no-guns policy on the set of “The Crow.” He stated:
“Safety is a number one priority. Film sets are very dangerous. There are fast-moving cars with cranes stuck on the top. There are stunt guys falling on high wires down steps. Even just walking around a set at night with rain machines and lights, you’re working in an industrial environment. So it’s dangerous. You have to be safe. The first day I met with the special effects department and the armorer, who was great, in Prague. They were very safety-conscious. They follow all the same guidelines as the military when dealing with weapons, but I didn’t even want to risk that.”
As a result, Sanders had to find innovative ways to film gun scenes without using real guns. All the guns in Sanders’ “The Crow” are made of plastic or rubber and were never loaded.
No firing guns on set
Lionsgate
Sanders further explained:
“I said, categorically, ‘We will have no firing weapons on set,’ which means we didn’t have one gun that could have had a live round or a blank round anywhere near it ever, so that no projectile could go in. […] They’re all Airsoft guns, and some of them are just rubber or metal decoys that are functional but have no firing mechanism.”
Therefore, no bullets could be fired on the set of “The Crow.” Sanders also pointed out that Airsoft toy guns can serve as excellent gun replicas. They look and feel like real guns but can only fire puffs of air. All that’s needed to make an Airsoft gun look real is a flashing muzzle flair, which Sanders said could be easily added in post-production. He added:
“You have to add a muzzle flash and smoke, but that was a price worth paying. It took a fair bit of money out of my very limited visual effects budget, but I think it was worth it. The visual effects on this movie were very much in-camera. We were mainly a location shoot with set extension. So you have to balance where you spend the money when you don’t have a massive budget to do visual effects. But to me, that was a very worthwhile spend for everyone’s safety and comfort going into this project.”
“The Crow” is set to hit theaters on August 23, 2024. It will be the fifth film based on James O’Barr’s comic series, a franchise that also includes video games, books, and a TV series.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
