There’s more to the story of Eric and Shelly than is captured by the 1994 Brandon Lee movie. There’s a new adaptation on the way and James O’Barr is pleased with it and the filmmaker in charge.

The city was Little Rock. The location was the Statehouse Convention Center. The event? River City Comic Expo 11 – 12 June 2016.

I tried three times on Saturday to get to see Mr. O’Barr. Three times! I had my mini-me with me and I wanted to talk art, adaptation and The Crow. But it was not to be. It took arriving early on Sunday and seeing this legend arriving (I was an hour early) to tell myself that I should not be at all nervous to talk to him because I was terrified. I love the story he crafted and I love Brandon Lee’s portrayal of the character, despite it not being a true adaptation and let’s face it kids, I saw the movie in the theatre. (I’m as old as dirt.)

After taking in a couple other panels and gathering my courage, I approached Mr. O’Barr. I didn’t discuss any of the things I had planned to. I didn’t discuss the personal tragedy that drove him to create the comic in the first place. Most fans know that story, but just in case, a drunk driver killed his fiancé when he was 18 and creating The Crow helped him cope with his anger. (Did you also know that Mr. O’Barr was Marine? I may have read that somewhere once and I probably had forgotten, see previous comment.) I admired the print I was purchasing of Brandon Lee as The Crow. He signs it for me, free. (It’s going to Mini-me’s dad who is a HUGE fan.) Here he told me a fantastic story about where the money is going from these prints. It’s not in his pocket. Any print he sells goes to a fund to purchase a star for Brandon on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Brandon’s sister Shannon (Bruce’s daughter) is trying to raise the money to get it next to Bruce’s star. Shannon, FYI, runs the Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee fan clubs. It costs $100,000 to get a star and it costs extra to have it placed next to Bruce, because someone else has to be moved, costs extra for insurance (in case someone tries to (or succeeds) steal it and damages it), and then there’s the maintenance. Wow. That’s a lot. Who knew? So, if you’re ever at a convention and James O’Barr is there, please buy a print of Brandon Lee as The Crow. It really does go to a good cause.

The questions I asked were more about adaptation. As a writer myself, this process is one that mystifies me. Why? Because there are adaptations that rock (Harry Potter, Captain America (even though not a true adaptation)) and then there are adaptations that are less than stellar, disasters even (Eragon, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising). How was this process for him with the new film? Was there a script already in place or did he help write one? So, here’s what he told me.

“The new film will be filmed somewhere in Ireland in an abandoned warehouse district from World War II that looks a hell of a lot like Detroit. I went and researched the warehouses in Detroit and they were all built by Irish immigrants so it makes sense. It’s a period piece set in the 1980s with lots of good music. The filmmaker is British, Corin Hardy (The Hallow) and has been a huge fan, loves the books. He hates CGI so the film he’s already done The Hallow has no CGI. It’s a monster film. Corin came with a script. Flew over just to talk about it and reassure me that it wasn’t a remake of the Brandon Lee film. The script was pretty close to what was in the books, I filled in a few blanks and a little of the backstory that was left out of the first one, like why Albrecht was so obsessed with the case. I trust him with it because he wanted me involved and wouldn’t do it without me. I’m involved creatively one hundred percent.”

So, there you have it. If James O’Barr is happy with the choices being made then we should be too. I know I am. He was a very pleasant guy to talk to and I wish I could have spent more time talking to him but as things go, when folks see you talking to someone they all want to come up and talk to them too!

And if you’re still reading this here’s a treat … the backstory? Albrecht lives across the street from Eric and Shelly. Shhh. 😉

(Picture from the Grand Rapids Comic Con site because in my awe I did not get a photo!)