The best order for watching The Crow movies is release order: The Crow (1994), City of Angels (1996), Salvation (2000), Wicked Prayer (2005), and The Crow (2024). The films are not one continuous biography of Eric Draven; the first four form an anthology-like screen cycle, and the 2024 film is a separate reimagining.
Watch the five released The Crow movies in release order: The Crow (1994), The Crow: City of Angels (1996), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005), and The Crow (2024).
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That is the clearest order because the films do not tell one continuous biography of Eric Draven. The four movies released between 1994 and 2005 form the original screen cycle, with a recurring supernatural mythology and different Crow figures. The 2024 movie is a separate reimagining of the core Eric-and-Shelly story, not a sequel to Brandon Lee’s film.
The Crow movies in release order
| Order | Film | Release year | Central Crow figure | How it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Crow | 1994 | Eric Draven | The original film and foundation of the movie franchise. |
| 2 | The Crow: City of Angels | 1996 | Ashe Corven | A new Crow story with Sarah returning as a connective character. |
| 3 | The Crow: Salvation | 2000 | A new Crow avatar | A largely standalone continuation of the mythology. |
| 4 | The Crow: Wicked Prayer | 2005 | Jimmy Cuervo | A new setting, protagonist, and supernatural-revenge conflict. |
| 5 | The Crow | 2024 | Eric | A separate modern reimagining, not a sequel to the 1994 film. |
What is the correct chronological order?
There is no rigorously dated, single timeline covering all five films. The name “Crow” describes a recurring supernatural role rather than one character who lives through every installment. In each story, a murdered person is returned—or empowered—to pursue those responsible, but the human protagonist, supporting cast, setting, and immediate conflict change.
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If “chronological order” means the original screen continuity, watch:
- The Crow (1994)
- The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
- The Crow: Salvation (2000)
- The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
Then watch The Crow (2024) separately. This is a continuity grouping, not proof that the first four films form a precisely dated shared timeline. For almost everyone, release order remains the best choice: 1994 → 1996 → 2000 → 2005 → 2024.
1. The Crow (1994)
Directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee as Eric Draven, the 1994 film is the essential starting point. Eric is a musician who is murdered alongside his fiancée, Shelly Webster, shortly before their wedding. One year later, a mysterious crow leads Eric back from the dead so he can take revenge on the people responsible.
This is the film that establishes the visual language and central mythology associated with the franchise: grief, doomed romance, gothic urban imagery, music, resurrection, and supernatural vengeance. It is also the foundational screen adaptation of James O’Barr’s comic work.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallUse the year whenever you refer to this film after discussing the 2024 version. Calling it simply “The Crow” can create confusion, especially because both films use Eric as the central character.
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2. The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
The first sequel does not continue Eric Draven’s personal story. It follows Ashe Corven, another murder victim who is brought back by a crow and sets out to pursue those responsible. Sarah, who was a child in the 1994 film, returns as a link between the two stories.
That makes City of Angels a sequel by release order and mythology, but not a continuation of Eric’s life. Its purpose is to show that the Crow’s supernatural function can recur with a different person. Watch it after the 1994 original if you want to see how the franchise first expanded beyond Eric and Shelly.
3. The Crow: Salvation (2000)
Salvation is the third released movie and another new Crow story. It introduces a different central character and treats the resurrection-and-revenge premise as a continuing piece of franchise mythology rather than as the next chapter in Eric Draven’s biography.
It belongs after City of Angels in the original release cycle, but viewers should not expect it to resolve an ongoing plot from the first two films. Its position is mainly historical: it is the third released screen installment and part of the pre-2024 run of films.
4. The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
The fourth released film centers on Jimmy Cuervo, a new Crow figure caught in another supernatural revenge conflict. The change in protagonist and setting further confirms the anthology-like structure of the original movie cycle.
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Jimmy Cuervo is not Eric Draven under another name. Wicked Prayer continues the broad concept of death, return, and vengeance, but it should be approached as a separate installment with its own characters and conflict. It is the final film in the original 1994–2005 screen cycle.
5. The Crow (2024)
Rupert Sanders’s 2024 film stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric and FKA twigs as Shelly. It revisits the central tragic-romance-and-revenge premise and is described as a modern reimagining of James O’Barr’s graphic novel. Its wide U.S. theatrical release was August 23, 2024.
Despite sharing the names Eric and Shelly with the 1994 movie, the 2024 film is not a sequel that assumes Brandon Lee’s story happened first. It is a separate adaptation and can be watched on its own. Placing it last is useful when watching the films by release date because it makes the difference between the original cycle and the modern reimagining unmistakable.
Should you watch the movies in release order or chronological order?
Choose release order unless you have a specific reason not to. The films are not dependent on a complex sequence of events, so release order gives you the franchise’s natural progression:
- You begin with the 1994 film that defines the screen version of The Crow.
- You see how the sequel broadens the mythology with a new protagonist.
- You follow the later standalone-style entries in the order audiences encountered them.
- You finish with the 2024 reimagining instead of confusing it with the earlier continuity.
If you only want the most important entry, watch The Crow (1994). If you want to sample the whole franchise, watch all five in release order. If you are particularly interested in comparing adaptations of the same core premise, watch the 1994 and 2024 films as a two-film pairing, then explore the three intervening mythology-based stories.
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Are all five movies connected?
They are connected by the Crow concept and by the franchise’s recurring themes, but not as one uninterrupted story. The 1994–2005 films are best treated as a succession of Crow stories with changing protagonists. City of Angels has the clearest connective link because Sarah returns, while Salvation and Wicked Prayer place greater emphasis on new characters.
The 2024 movie is separate. It returns to the Eric-and-Shelly setup but reimagines the source material rather than continuing the events of the 1994 film.
Want to go beyond the movies?
James O’Barr’s The Crow began as a comic work, with the early Tundra publication appearing in 1992. The comic is source-material context, not a sixth movie, so it should not be inserted into the film watch order. Readers interested in the franchise’s origins may want to read James O’Barr’s original graphic novel separately from the film series.
A companion for franchise fans
For a behind-the-scenes view of the property, The Crow: The Definitive History by Jeff Bond is scheduled as a 192-page Titan Books hardcover for September 1, 2026. The book is planned to cover the 1994 film, O’Barr’s graphic novel, the sequels, and the 2024 film. Because that date is in the future relative to the research used for this guide, check the publisher or retailer for the latest release status before ordering; it should be treated as forthcoming or available for preorder, not assumed to be released.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Final watch order
- The Crow (1994)
- The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
- The Crow: Salvation (2000)
- The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
- The Crow (2024)
The short version is simple: watch the movies in release order. Treat the first four as the original screen cycle, and treat the 2024 The Crow as a standalone reimagining rather than the next chapter in Eric Draven’s story.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct order to watch The Crow movies?
Watch The Crow (1994), The Crow: City of Angels (1996), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005), and finally The Crow (2024).
Is The Crow (2024) a sequel to the 1994 movie?
No. The 2024 movie is a separate reimagining of the Eric-and-Shelly premise, not a sequel to Brandon Lee’s 1994 film.
Do all five The Crow movies share one timeline?
Not in the conventional sense. The Crow role recurs with different human protagonists, settings, and conflicts. The four films from 1994 through 2005 are best grouped as the original screen cycle, while the 2024 film stands apart.
Can I watch only one The Crow movie?
The 1994 film is the essential starting point and the foundation of the franchise. The other movies can be explored afterward as new stories built around the same broad supernatural-revenge mythology.
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The Bottom Line
Best order: The Crow (1994) → City of Angels (1996) → Salvation (2000) → Wicked Prayer (2005) → The Crow (2024). There is no single literal timeline for all five films: the first four reuse the Crow mythology with different protagonists, while the 2024 movie is a separate reimagining.
Quick Recap
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