Let's address the gigantic, disgusting elephant in the room: Harvey Weinstein. It wasn't enough to ruin many actors' lives through his vile behaviour behind-the-scenes, he also couldn't help himself when it came to destroying what was supposed to be a gorgeous, thought-provoking follow-up to 1994's cult-classic The Crow. With enough carbon copies of original films already oversaturating the marketplace, such as an action sequel to any 80s/90s hit film (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Highlander), The Crow: City of Angels was destined to be something fresh, though that was taken away from the fans and filmmakers alike who reached out to their audience. Fans told writer David S. Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight) that they didn't want Eric Draven to return for the sequel because that character will forever belong to Brandon Lee, similar to how Marvel Studios are approaching the Black Panther sequel(s) by having other characters take up the "Black Panther" mantle; as opposed to outright recasting Chadwick Boseman and the legendary status he helped bring to the character. Goyer, director Tim Pope, all involved were under the assumption that they were making a follow-up to the original, not a copy of a (copy of a; to quote a wonderful Nine Inch Nails song).
The most insulting change made to the movie was the ending. Originally it saw the protagonist, Ashe Corven (played by Vincent Perez), be damned to spend eternity on earth as an immortal because he chooses to avoid returning to the afterlife in-order to try and save Sarah (a grown-up version of the little girl from the first film, portrayed by Mia Kirshner) from the villainous Judah Earl (played by Richard Brooks, who's voice would make TDKR's Bane blush). This ending alone could have made the movie standout, but instead they go with the contrived "if you don't save the damsel in distress, you can't go to heaven" nonsense. Especially with that absurd change, along with the countless others (the film originally ran for 160 minutes, in contrast to less than 90), it's no wonder Goyer and Pope disowned the film entirely, as the credits may as well read: "Butchered by Harvey Weinstein". It's an embarrassment that the studio, Miramax, still hasn't released the version seen on Pay Per View to home video, even more so considering they blatantly lied and called one of the DVD releases a "Director's Cut" when Tim Pope had nothing to do with it.
To put it simply, this isn't the first time I've advocated for this film (and it certainly won't be the last): #ReleaseThePopeCut
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