A reboot of 1994 cult film "The Crow" looks to have found its leading man, as Jason Momoa is pictured with the project's director, Corin Hardy.
Jason Momoa posted a deal-sealing picture of himself on Instagram with "The Crow" remake's director, Corin Hardy; he will be the second Hawaiian-born actor to play the Crow, after the TV series' Mark Dacascos.
It was Brandon Lee, son of martial arts film icon Bruce Lee, who first soared as Eric Draven, a lithe, nimble, back-from-the-dead vigilante pursuing the street gang that killed his girlfriend.
Lee himself died following a fatal accident on set, and at the time his tragic passing lent the film -- and Bruce Lee's heritage -- another layer of intrigue.
The movie made $50 million at the US box office, finding success as an R-rated comic book adaptation: four sequels followed, each with a different cast and director. None, however, managed to reach the heights of the 1994 original.
The first, 1996's "The Crow: City of Angels," was steered by Tim Pope, director of multiple music videos for The Cure -- a band whose sound and aesthetic had helped sculpt the first film's identity -- and featured Mia Kirshner (pre-"The L Word"), Richard Brooks ("Law & Order") and rocker Iggy Pop.
A single TV season of "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven", starring Hawaiian-born Mark Dacascos, aired in 1998 before an abrupt cancellation; year 2000 film "The Crow: Salvation" had Kirsten Dunst, then of "Interview with a Vampire" and "The Virgin Suicides," as co-star.
2005's "The Crow: Wicked Prayer" had Edward Furlong of "Terminator 2" and "American History X" as its Crow, alongside David Boreanaz ("Buffy" and "Angel"), Tara Reid ("American Pie") and film legend Dennis Hopper, after which the franchise took an extended break (or went into development hell).
At 6'4" (1.93m), Momoa comes to the role after 17 years of reputation-building.
He broke through in 1999 with a two-year stint on "Baywatch" when the television drama moved to Hawaii for two seasons; he followed up with a season on another Hawaiian drama, "North Shore," before moving to sci-fi adventure "Stargate Atlantis" as imposing soldier Ronan Dex.
"Conan the Barbarian" followed in 2011 and, like "The Crow," it had Momoa take over an iconic character -- the sword-swinging warrior first played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1982.
But it was his turn as the scowling, tattooed, and muscular Khal Drago in HBO's "Game of Thrones" that established Momoa in the popular consciousness; since then, he's booked the lead in 2018's "Aquaman," following appearances as the same character in 2016's "Batman v Superman" and 2017's "."
