Earlier this week, we reported that Mark Wahlberg had been offered the lead role in Stephen Norrington’s remake of The Crow.  Comics2Film decided to ask Norrington about the rumor and he responded, “I don’t know about that story but I can tell you I’m no longer involved with The Crow.”  Norrington says an unnamed actor got involved and loved Norrington’s take, but then asked for a complete re-write of Norrington and Nick Cave’s script from a new writer.  However, Norrington implies that the unnamed actor wasn’t Wahlberg because he goes on to say, “I will say I think Wahlberg could be cool if they take a gritty blue-collar approach. He’s a truthful actor. I think he could really ground the supernatural stuff.”

Norrington, who hasn’t directed a film since the 2003 debacle The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is moving on to another project he’s had in development: The Last Patrol.  As we previously reported, the film is “a supernatural action thriller set against the backdrop of World War II.”

I have a tough time envisioning Mark Wahlberg as goth, but he may getting into the white face paint.  According to Bloody Disgusting, Wahlberg has been offered the lead in Stephen Norrington’s remake/re-adaptation of The Crow.  This was a film I was completely uninterested in until musician/screenwriter Nick Cave (The Proposition) came on board to do a re-write.  We don’t know much about the remake other than it will be set in Detroit and follow the same plotline of a man coming back from the dead to avenge his and his fiancée’s murder.  However, before Cave came on board, we reported that Norrington’s reboot  “will focus more on the mythology of the actual crow as a character with a distinct personality.”  The Crow was originally played by Brandon Lee in the 1994 film.  Other actors to play the role include Vincent Perez, Eric Mabius, and Edward Furlong.

Wahlberg will next be seen in David O. Russell’s The Fighter.  He’s also attached to the thriller Contraband, and is considering The Odd Life of Timothy Green and Seth MacFarlane’s comedy Teddy Bear.

And just like that, I’m interested in Stephen Norrington’s remake of The Crow.  The Wrap reports that writer/musician Nick Cave (The Proposition) has been brought on to re-write the screenplay for The Crow remake.  Norrington wrote the original draft of the script, which was set in a southwestern area (e.g. Mexico or Arizona) and an urban location (e.g. Detroit or Pittsburgh).  I can’t help but wonder if Norrington feels like he’s losing control again and flashing back to his last film, 2003′s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Cave’s most frequent collaborator is director John Hillcoat.  In addition to The Proposition, Cave also wrote the scripts for Hillcoat’s Ghosts…of the Civil Dead and the un-produced The Promised Land and Death of a Ladies Man.  Cave also wrote an amazing/batshit insane script for a Gladiator sequel.  While I have no interest in The Crow as a character or his goth world, Cave’s involvement has instantly landed this movie on my radar.

Writer/director Stephen Norrington’s reboot of The Crow is set to begin filming soon, and producer Edward Pressman gave MTV’s Movies Blog some details about the film.  Pressman promised fans that Norrington’s completed screenplay is “terrific” and Avatar’s production designer Rob Stromberg’s illustrations will help make the film very different from the original.  According to Pressman, an offer is out to an unnamed major actor and production is set to begin later this year.

The film’s setting will be different from the original Crow.  Norrington’s screenplay is set in both the Southwest and an urban area, possibly “Detroit or Pittsburgh.”  The change in locations isn’t the only significant difference, as the reboot will focus more on the mythology of the actual crow as a character with a distinct personality.  Pressman said that this will give it a “more active role” in the story, and Norrington’s visual ideas for the reboot are different from what fans are used to.  Pressman continued by saying that casting announcements are forthcoming.  I guess the main question is who would you like to see in the starring role?

Making his first film since 2003′s disastrous League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, director Stephen Norrington signed on in 2008 to direct a new adaptation of comic creator James O’Barr’s The Crow.  Mania [via ShockTillYouDrop] recently spoke to Norrington and learned some new updates on the project.  Norrintgon says he will make it his next project, following up with of his supernatural World War II pic called The Lost Patrol, which we reported on last month.  The director revealed that The Crow is moving towards a greenlight from Relativity Media, the studio developing the flick.  Says Norrington:

The producer and visual effects people are crunching numbers. We’ve opened discussions with major cast but nothing is final yet…[We're hoping] to shoot in the summer, but nothing’s certain…Cast and budget and schedules will no doubt continue to adjust all equations.

For those who don’t know about The Crow, the story follows a supernatural goth avenger, looking to punish those responsible for the death of his fiancé.  Unlike Alex Proyas’ 1994 adaptation, Norrington’s version would “take on the mythology that focuses on a new set of characters.”

After having his soul pounded into dust by Sean Connery on 2003′s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, writer/director Stephen Norrington is slowly re-emerging after his seven-year-hiatus.  Already in the process of developing a remake of The Crow, THR reports that Norrington will write and direct The Lost Patrol.  THR says not much is known about the project beyond it being, “a supernatural action thriller set against the backdrop of World War II.”  Norrington says Patrol hit all of his “geek-buttons” which are apparently “hardware, heroes, grime, insane monsters.”  I’m surprised “Working with old Scottish actors who formerly played James Bond,” isn’t on his geek console.