First Look at Taron Egerton’s Robin Hood Origin Story
Robin Hood is getting another cinematic adaptation, but this time our Robin is getting an origin story. He will be played by Taron Egerton.
Taron Egerton as Robin Hood. Photo credit: EW
In Entertainment Weekly‘s first look of Robin Hood it is revealed that Robin Hood is getting the gritty reboot treatment, à la King Arthur earlier this year. Goodbye green tights. Director Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders) explains the reason for this by explaining that Robin Hood is a legend for more than just stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. There is so much to becoming a legend.
“You don’t become a legend for 800 years if you’ve just stolen a few bags of money from rich people to give to the poor,” Bathurst told EW on the Budapest set in April. “In my mind, Robin Hood was this sort of seriously militarized anarchist revolutionary, a freedom thinker and a truth seeker. And the more I got into the story, it just became startling how utterly relevant it is to what’s going on in society now.”
Taron Egerton as Robin Hood. Photo Credit: Larry Horricks
The first act of the film is what brought Egerton to this project. The film is to open with a crusading scene in Syria which reminded him of The Hurt Locker. Based on the first images released from the film, Robin Hood’s styling is quite similar to the combat gear we see today.
Eve Hewson and Taron Egerton as Maid Marian and Robin Hood. Photo credit: EW
Robin Hood will be joined by his Merry Men: Little John (Jamie Foxx), Friar Tuck (Tim Minchin) and Will Scarlett (Jamie Dornan). Maid Marian (Eve Hewson). Guy of Gisborne (Paul Anderson), and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn) round out the cast of familiar characters. In this iteration Will and Robin are half-brothers, and Will is married to Marian. If you are familar with Robin Hood lore, Marian is Robin’s one true love.
Jamie Foxx and Taron Egerton ad Little John and Robin Hood. Photo credit: EW
Foxx praised Mendelsohn’s performance as the Sheriff, promising that he shall be venomous. Foxx also spoke about how freeing the experience was, explaining the unconventional manner of this period drama makes it new and interesting. The accents, costumes and soundtrack cues will be modernized, which might remind some of Guy Ritchie’s approach with King Arthur. Let’s just hope that Bathurst provides a better film.
Ben Mendelsohn as Sheriff of Nottingham. Photo credit: Larry Horricks
The film was scripted by Joby Harold and picked up by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Lionsgate will be distributing the film. The current release date is September 21 2018.
Source: EW.
