The story of Robin Hood has been adapted for the screen many times over the years, starting back in the silent days when Douglas Fairbanks used the classic tale as a vehicle for his signature acrobatic swashbuckling. Errol Flynn tackled the role in memorable fashion in the 1938 Technicolor film The Adventures of Robin Hood, co-starring Olivia de Havilland. The two most recent attempts at adapting Robin Hood saw Kevin Costner tackling the role for 1991’s romantic Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Russell Crowe picking up Robin’s bow for 2010’s “historically accurate” Robin Hood, directed by Ridley Scott.

As durable as the legend of Robin Hood has been in popular lore, it’s no surprise that Hollywood is going back to that well once again. It’s also no surprise that the newest incarnation of Robin Hood is being described as a “gritty” take on the story. A new crop of images is giving us an early glimpse at what the new Robin Hood has in store.

Robin Hood: Origins is currently filming in Dubrovnik, Croatia and the Dubrovnik Times is keeping close tabs on the production. The paper’s website just posted a bunch of images from the set that look like they were taken from a sniper position, and these pictures give us our first look at Jamie Foxx as Little John, as well as a further glimpse of Taron Egerton as Robin Hood. The website also details some of the filming that went on, describing an action scene that had Egerton and Foxx evading charging horses, while pyrotechnics went off in the background.

Directed by Otto Bathurst from a script by King Arthur: Legend of the Sword writer Joby Harold, Robin Hood: Origins boasts a heavyweight casting including Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlet, Ben Mendelsohn as The Sheriff of Nottingham and Eve Hewson as Maid Marien. The movie is being produced by Lionsgate, along with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Safehouse Pictures.

One thing most earlier Robin Hood movies had in common was an established, older male lead playing the title character. Origins is going against the grain by casting a less-mature actor in the role; an approach that could be seen as an attempt to reach a younger demographic. Producer Basil Iwanyk has characterized the movie’s action by comparing it to John Wick, so definitely don’t expect any sedate Errol Flynn-style swordplay and hijinks.

Is Robin Hood a story that has a chance to resonate with young audiences? There’s certainly something universally appealing about the idea of a hero who steals from the rich to give to the poor. The last couple Robin Hood movies arguably were a bit too dour and gray and not lively and fun enough. The descriptions of the shoot offered up so far seem to indicate that Robin Hood: Origins will at least have lots of over-the-top action, and that’s usually a good way to start.

Source: Dubrovnik Times

  • Robin Hood Release Date: 2018-11-21