Competing films in Hollywood are nothing new. We’ve seen it many times before, whether it be Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down, Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits or countless others. It’s a common trend and one that looks set to continue in the near future. That’s because the iconic story of Robin Hood is gearing up for the big screen treatment once again and will be arriving from a couple of different studios.
First up, we’ve got Lionsgate’s Robin Hood which, from what we’ve heard, will be a mature origin story for the character. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there’s Nottingham & Hood from Disney, which will be a family friendly adventure. Then, somewhere in between, we’ve got Sony’s take on the tale, which is apparently titled Hood and said to be more of a thriller. Finally, there’s Warner Bros.’ version of the story, which we still don’t know too much about yet.
Out of the four (there’s actually a few others rumored to be in development, too), it’s Robin Hood which is the furthest ahead, already putting together a stacked cast that consists of Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Dornan and more. At the helm is Otto Bathurst, and from how the studio has been positioning it, it’s clear that this won’t be your children’s Robin Hood. No, this take on the character will be quite different, and according to Foxx, we should expect something a lot more real and gritty when it hits theaters.
While doing press earlier today to promote his new film Sleepless, we asked the actor about how his Robin Hood will differ from the other ones that are in production, and here’s what he told us:
Those other Robin Hoods don’t mean shit. Our Robin Hood, it’s on. We’re battling, gonna drop the same day. What’s different about ours? It’s just a grittier take. With Otto [Bathurst] directing, it’s just a grittier take. It’s not like in the Sherwood Forest, tights and all that. It’s not like that. It’s grittier, a more real version, if that makes sense. But no disrespect to anyone else’s Robin Hood.
This falls nicely in line with what’s been said already about Bathurst’s film, and quite frankly, we’re pleased to hear it. A more realistic and gritty take on Robin Hood could definitely work out well. Of course, Ridley Scott tried something similar back in 2010, but that film was mediocre at best and as such, we’re excited to see if this version can get it right. After all, if it scores big at the box office, we could be looking at an exciting new franchise here.
Robin Hood: Origins is set to enter production shortly and will lens for four-and-a-half months in Hungary. March 23, 2018 is the date for your diaries.
