Jack Huston, the British actor best known for Boardwalk Empire, has signed on to play the lead in the upcoming remake of The Crow. The original movie, about a man brought back to life who sets about avenging the death of his fiancée, took on extra significance given its lead, Brandon Lee, was killed when a gun was mistakenly fired on set.

Jack HustonJack Huston will play the lead role in The Crow after Luke Evans dropped out the project

Huston has been long-rumored for the role though Corin Hardy only confirmed the deal this week.

"Jack Huston has definitely been cast," O'Barr told Dread Central, "really happy with that choice".

More: Boardwalk Empire's Jack Huston lands the lead in remake of Ben-Hur

As well as playing war veteran Richard Harrow on HBO's Boardwalk Empire, Huston - the son of Anjelica - also played Jack Kerouac in Kill Your Darlings and appeared in American Hustle. He's also been cast as Mr Wickham in the slash-fiction adaptation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Oh, and he'll play Ben Hur in the remake of the Oscar-winning epic.

Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was killed when actor Michael Massee's character fired a .44 Magnum revolver in a scene in The Crow. Unfinished scenes were completed with rewrites and digital special effects and the film was dedicated to Lee and his fiancée, Eliza.

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The Hobbit actor Luke Evans was previously attached to play the lead in the remake before leaving the project due to delays in production. Evans will instead play Gaston in Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

More: Dan Stevens to play The Beast in Beauty and the Beast