Chapter 118: The Crow Never Dies-The Death and Legacy of Brandon Lee

“It can’t rain all the time.”

Those words became immortal the day Brandon Lee brought The Crow to life and lost his own in the process. Born to a martial arts legend, Brandon Lee was poised for stardom, carving out a name for himself outside of his father's shadow, but fate had other ideas when a tragic accident occurred on set,  and The Crow, a dark and gothic thriller, would become both his final film and his legacy.

After 30 years, The Crow has immortalized Brandon Lee in its haunting story of Eric Draven, risen from the dead seeking retribution, but his death also created another legacy, one that changed the way Hollywood would operate to keep casts and crews safe. 


Connect with us on Social Media!
You can find us at:
Instagram: @bookofthedeadpod
X: @bkofthedeadpod
Facebook: The Book of the Dead Podcast
TikTok: Bookofthedeadpod
Or visit our website at www.botdpod.com

Featuring a promo for Missing in the PNW:
The Pacific Northwest is known for it's beautiful coastline, green interior, rainy weather, and spectacular mountains, but because of all of this it's also the perfect place to go missing.

Listen here

Ashurst, S. (2019a, May 15). ‘John Wick 3’ director Chad Stahelski opens up about Brandon Lee’s tragic death on “The Crow.” Yahoo Movies UK via Yahoo Entertainment. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/john-wick-3-director-chad-stahelski-opens-brandon-lees-tragic-death-crow-142644256.html?guccounter=1Ashurst, S. (2019b, May 15). ‘John Wick 3’ director Chad Stahelski opens up about Brandon Lee’s tragic death on “The Crow.” Yahoo Movies UK via Yahoo Entertainment. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/john-wick-3-director-chad-stahelski-opens-brandon-lees-tragic-death-crow-142644256.html?guccounter=1Boyle, P. (2019, July 16). Brandon Lee Apparently Killed by .44 Bullet : Movies: Even after autopsy finding, North Carolina police are still treating the actor’s death as accidental. - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-02-ca-18323-story.htmlBrandon Lee. (n.d.-a). The Movie Database. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/57700-brandon-lee?language=en-USBrandon Lee. (n.d.-b). The Movie Database. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/57700-brandon-lee?language=en-USBruce Lee — Bruce Lee. (n.d.). Bruce Lee. https://brucelee.com/bruce-leeFate’s Children: Bruce and Brandon. (1993, May 3). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/02/archives/fates-children-bruce-and-brandon.htmlHarris, M. (2021, October 22). The brief life and unnecessary death of Brandon Lee. EW.com. https://ew.com/article/1993/04/16/brief-life-and-unnecessary-death-brandon-lee/Heching, D. (2021, October 26). Eliza Hutton Breaks Silence 28 Years After Fiancé Brandon Lee's Death in the Wake of 'Rust' Shooting. People.com. https://people.com/movies/eliza-hutton-breaks-silence-28-years-after-fiance-brandon-lees-death-in-the-wake-of-rust-shooting/IMDb. (n.d.). Brandon Lee. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000488/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_smJensen, E. (2024, August 23). The tragic true story of how Brandon Lee died on “The Crow” movie set in 1993. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2024/08/23/the-crow-1994-brandon-lee-death-explained/74858461007/No Charges Filed in Actor’s Death During Filming. (1993, September 6). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/06/us/no-charges-filed-in-actor-s-death-during-filming.htmlRemembering Brandon Lee (1965-1993). (2025, January 1). Flasz on Film. https://flaszonfilm.com/2023/03/31/remembering-brandon-lee-1965-1993/The Associated Press. (1993a, April 1). Actor dies after accident in filming. Winston-Salem Journal, 30.The Associated Press. (1993b, April 1). Brandon Lee’s death followed series of mishaps on movie set. The Salisbury Post, 5A.The Crow movie review & film summary (1994) | Roger Ebert. (1994, May 13). Roger Ebert. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-crow-1994Van Horn, S. (2024, March 24). How “The Crow” was completed after Brandon Lee’s death. Collider. https://collider.com/the-crow-production-brandon-lee/Year of the Dragon, 2025 & 2026 Horoscope of Chinese Zodiac Dragon. (n.d.). https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/zodiac/dragon.htm?srsltid=AfmBOoohsHN9nEf8PO2NFG_9Z1sUhMiP9S-px25xQ6L-R5h038Od5EBa

If you enjoyed the episode, consider leaving a review or rating! It helps more than you know! 
If you have a case suggestion, or want attention brought to a loved one's case, email me at bookofthedeadpod@gmail.com with Case Suggestion in the subject line.

Stay safe, stay curious, and stay vigilant.