“Disorder, chaos, anarchy: now that’s fun!”
That was perhaps one of the most iconic quotes by Top Dollar, the main antagonist from the 1994 dark thriller film, “The Crow“. However, multiple sites reported that Top Dollar will undergo a gender switch in an upcoming remake because the titular character will be facing a female main villain instead.
Directed by Alex Provas, the original film adaptation starred Brandon Lee as Eric Draven, a poetic rock musician who is revived from the dead to avenge his murder and the death of his fiancé. David J. Schow and John Shirley wrote the screenplay based on James O’Barr’s 1989 comic book of the same name. It was said to be one of the cursed Hollywood movies as Lee was killed on set due to an accidental shooting.
Director Corin Hardy is attached to helm its remake by Relativity Studios, which is planned as a gritty reboot. So far, the studio has only confirmed that “Boardwalk Empire” star Jack Huston will portray the new Eric Draven while “Downtown Abbey” star Jessica Brown Findlay will play his murdered girlfriend Shelly in flashbacks.
While it’s not verified, Deadline reported that the studio is eyeing to cast “Birdman” star Andrea Riseborough as the female Top Dollar.
In the original comic books, Top Dollar is nothing more than just a low-level drug dealer. The character was rewritten in the 1994 film, with Michael Wincott portraying him. He is also the crime boss who ordered the murder of rocker Eric Draven and his fiancee Shelly Webster. The character was portrayed by John Pyper-Ferguson on the TV series, “The Crow: Stairway to Heaven”.
However, it seems like the studio is also aiming a fresh take on the character by tweaking the gender of Top Dollar in the remake. Riseborough certainly won’t be the first actress to portray a gender-swapped character because Sofia Boutella’s character Gazelle in “Kingsman: The Secret Service” was originally a dark skinned muscleman with bionic legs.
Filming for the remake is expected to begin this year before its release in 2016. Claire Wilson wrote the script based on the original graphic novel, with author James O’Barr serving as consultant. Edward R. Pressman, the original film producer, is also producing the remake alongside Ryan Kavanaugh, Kevin Misher, and Jeff Most.
Source: Empire Online / Featured image
