We’ll start off the week with the first look at Russell Crowe in director Ridley Scott’s upcoming Robin Hood film. Click on the image for an enlarged view of Crowe stalking through the woods of Sherwood Forest, getting ready to rob from the rich and all the rest.
I find producer Brian Grazer’s remarks in USA Today, where the picture appeared, a bit telling-
He doesn’t have the old Robin Hood tights. He’s got armor. He’s very medieval. He looks, if anything, more like he did in Gladiator than anything we’re used to seeing with Robin Hood.
To me thatsounds like the only other iteration of Robin Hood that Grazer is familiar with is the classic 1938 Errol Flynn version. And while that classic has influenced many Robin Hood projects over the years, not all of them have feature Merry Men in tights. One such alternate version, the 1991 Robin Hood which starred Patrick Bergin in the titular role, was a darker than usual take on the story, with an eye for historically accurate, 13th century, tights-less detail. Unfortunately, competition from Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves forced the film to premier on cable here in teh United States, though it was released theatrically in Europe. Today, as evidenced by Graser’s remarks, it appears to be largely forgotten, which is a shame.
As for Crowe’s costume… Well, it looks good and appropriately period, but nothing that you wouldn’t see at a reasonably well done Renaissance Faire.
Robin Hood will be hitting theaters in 2010.
