A Band of Merry Movies: two Robin Hood films in the works
- 11 August 2009
- Gerard Wood
It appears that the movie formerly known as Nottingham will not be the only retelling of the Robin Hood legend making its way to our screens in months to come. With filming of Ridley Scott’s (once but no longer) revisionist version underway, comes news of another version in the works, this one a futurist action adventure.
With “ists” dropping like arrows from the sky, a couple of questions spring to mind: is't good news? Or does news of a double dose of Men in Tights leave you cold and with a disagreeable flashback to 1991 when we were subjected to another Band of Merry Movies: the Prince of Thieves from the two Kevins (Reynolds and Costner, may their names live in infamy forever for that awful offering!) and the marginally better Robin Hood directed by John Irvin, with Patrick Bergen in the lead?
A more pertinent question perhaps is: do we really need another adaptation of Robin Hood for the screen, let alone two more? In short, yes we do! And here’s why. At its heart the legend’s message of resistance to injustice is timeless and as relevant today as ever, and while that in itself doesn’t justify a new version, bringing it to the screen through the talent of a director such as Ridley Scott, and with a cast comprising Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong and William Hurt amongst others most definitely does.
More than anything else however it's Scott's involvement that justifies another retelling for the big screen. As a director Scott has a feel for the real, bringing a gritty realism as much to his fantastical and historical films as to his more contemporary movies. If anyone can draw out the legend’s contemporary relevance in what otherwise risks being dismissed as a Medieval fairy tale, Ridley Scott can.
But do we need two new retellings of the story? Absolutely. Although the legend is timeless, for some it may indeed lose relevance as a Medieval fairy tale or pseudo historical fable. That looks set to change with the newly announced Robin Hood project. While producers Gianni Nunnari and Charles Roven describe their new project fairly blandly as a “futuristic action adventure” that will be “inspired by and pay homage to the legend of Robin Hood”, I have high hopes for this one. Set in a futuristic, dystopian London their version will “centre on a band of thieves whose activities restore hope to the city's embattled population”. If Nunnari and Roven’s previous offerings are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. Nunnari brought us 300 and is working on the Greek epic War of Gods; and amongst many other things Roven is responsible for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and another movie on the SFFMedia highly anticipated list, Warcraft.
The great unknown in this project is the director. Danish Commercials director and former photojournalist Nicolai Fuglsig (pronounced fuel-see and pictured left) appears to be the driving force behind this project and is set to make his movie directing debut after blowing the producers away with his pitch for the film. Roven believes that Fuglsig has a “very clear vision for the film, one that will re-invent and modernise a classic story.” Let’s hope so.
Fuglsig will write the screenplay with Jason Hall (responsible for the forthcoming Ashton Kutcher comedy/drama Spread). For what it's worth, will someone please have a chat with China Miéville before writing the script? No one captures the big city like Miéville, and perhaps better than anyone else, he'll draw out the social and political issues in the material. And of course, his cities are the home of rebel leaders whose activities restore hope to the people! What better consultant could you ask for?
It’s way too early for a release date, but we’ll keep you posted.
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