Lionsgate just announced an official release date of June 7 for The Crow, which shot in Prague during the summer of 2022, and now fans are getting their very first look at the upcoming movie. Vanity Fair has released the first official images for The Crow through their social media channels.

The Crow stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven, a musician who is murdered and rises from the grave to seek vengeance on those responsible for his death. FKA Twigs plays his grieving lover Shelly, while Danny Huston is a featured baddie. The film also stars Laura Birn (Foundation), Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger in supporting roles.

The Crow was directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghost in the Shell), from a script credited to Zach Baylin and William Josef Schneider, working from the original comic book by James O’Barr.

The new photos are a stark contrast to earlier versions of The Crow, and seem to suggest Jared Leto’s Joker from Suicide Squad more than the character as played by Brandon Lee in the classic 1994 film directed by Alex Proyas. It’s unclear whether the lead photo depicts Skarsgård in full Crow costume; the other two released via Vanity Fair are of pre-resurrection Draven.

Director Sanders spoke to Vanity Fair about the look of his lead character, and his influences in making the new movie, which are appropriately musically-themed and range from 90s Goth to some more modern sources.

“I think the beauty of Bill is that he has a disturbing beauty, and as he transforms through his loss he becomes this thing that even he can’t control,” says Sanders of his star’s look.

“It’s that famous line: ‘Whoever fights monsters must be careful that they don’t become one.’ That look was me in the ’90s when we were squat-raving in London, [mixed with some modern influences] like Post Malone and Lil Peep. I hope people who are 19 today look at him and go, ‘That guy is us.’”

Skarsgård is no stranger to heavy horror makeup: he previously played Pennywise the Clown in It and It Chapter Two, and will be seen later this year as vampire Count Orlok in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, which also happened to film in Prague. Fans are still waiting to get their first look at Skarsgård in costume as Orlok ahead of Nosferatu‘s December 25 release.

“What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief, and the ethereal veil between life and death and reaching through that,” adds Sanders. “Look, I grew up listening to Joy Division and the Cure, and this movie is a bit like a Cure song—the beauty of melancholy.”

The Crow will release in U.S. cinemas from June 7. A release date for international markets including the Czech Republic has yet ot be confirmed.

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