Bruce Lee's Son Starred in His Last Movie 32 Years Ago Before His Tragic Death
It was 32 years ago that a major box-office movie marked the end of a rising Hollywood star's career due to a tragedy.
Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, starred in his final film, The Crow, a dark superhero fantasy movie directed by Alex Proyas.
At the time, he was considered an up-and-coming star following in the footsteps of his famous father since his 1992 movie Rapid Fire established him as an emerging action lead.
Unfortunately, it was cut short due to a tragic death.
On May 13, 1994, the film made its theatrical debut with the then-28-year-old lead star taking on the dual role of rock musician Eric Draven and the Crow.
Based on the 1989 graphic novel of the same name by James O'Barr, the story centers on Eric Draven, who was brutally murdered together with his fiancée in their apartment by a ruthless street gang.
A year after his passing, a bizarre turn of events unfolded after a mystical crow arrived on Draven's gravestone and resurrected him from the dead.
However, he returns with superhuman abilities and mental powers linked to a crow, which he uses to take his revenge.
With a production budget of approximately $23 million, The Crow earned a whopping $11.7 million in its opening weekend, debuting at No. 1 at the box office, as cited by industry analyst Box Office Mojo.
Moreover, the movie earned approximately $51 million in domestic box office gross, with international earnings bringing its worldwide total to about $154 million, showing that the film made more than double its production budget.
However, behind its success, The Crow harbors a dark history.
With only eight days left till the end of filming, Brandon Lee died following a fatal shooting accident on set.
During production, a scene showing Eric Draven walking into his apartment was being filmed when a tragic accident occurred.
Instead of a harmless prop setup, a .44 Magnum revolver was improperly prepared and discharged, with the bullet striking him in his abdomen.
"At the time of the gunfire, the explosive detonated and Lee collapsed," a police spokeswoman shared at the time, as cited by Variety.
Brandon Lee was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, but he did not survive, leading to his death at the age of 28.
While his passing was among the most high-profile and influential Hollywood tragedies, The Crow was completed using a stunt double, CGI face-mapping and a slight restructuring of the script.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 10:52 PM.