I read an article at CinemaBlend about this newest reboot of Robin Hood. It's planned to come September next year and will star Taron Egerton (Eggsy!). The movie will be directed by Otto Bathurst. This new Robin will focus on being a soldier in the Middle East during the Crusades, portraying him as a force against society to make it more relevant to today's socio-economic situation.

 

Yet another remake/reboot story. What is your take?

It just so happens that I was just watching the last one with Russell Crowe and Kate Blanchette when I saw this post. I guess my favorite was with Kevin Costner. I don't know what to think of yet another.

My favorite was with Russell Crowe. How would you put Robin Hood in the middle east? It's just not the kind of thing I would want to see.

The Robin Hood movie starring Kevin Costner started at Jerusalem but later moved to England and Scotland. I think the team wanted to put it in comparison with the current situation in the Middle East without moving the timeline to the modern era. I realized how the story is morally ambiguous and may end differently in each adaptation. I don't really mind a "bad" end as long as it's executed properly.

 

What kind of story do you want to see?

I'm a little wary of it, to be honest. While I appreciate the desire to breathe fresh life into a classic story, I don't know if I can get behind the idea of a Robin Hood movie that is being compared to The Hurt Locker as it is here. I love the idea of Robin Hood being a revolutionary - it makes sense - I don't love how easily I can see this being politicized.

I caught the trailer on Youtube last night:

 

I always love to see the archers in action regardless of the plot, so I trust that the movie will deliver on that front. I don't exactly understand the confusion about the era of the plot based on the comments, though I am interested in watching a wilder Robin Hood.

That trailer makes the movie look a lot better than I thought it would be! Taron Egerton is a great choice for Robin Hood. I don't know why people are so confused about the era either. It's absolutely fitting and appropriate.

Nice trailer! I've liked Egerton since I saw him in Kingsman. I'm quite confident in the team after watching the video. At least they seem to get the technical things right. Now it's a matter of delivering the plot in a way that we care. Robin Hood's character is already intriguing in the first place, so I hope they will keep the same atmosphere and drive it deeper. November seems so far away!

I'm hoping for the same thing, @North. They could do some really great things but they could also fall into one of the classic traps: there's nothing really all that fresh about it, they politicize it too much, and/or they sacrifice character development for action. I think the latter would be the worst. I think there's already enough "fresh" about this film though, so I'm not too worried about that aspect.

I'm hoping for the same thing, @North. They could do some really great things but they could also fall into one of the classic traps: there's nothing really all that fresh about it, they politicize it too much, and/or they sacrifice character development for action. I think the latter would be the worst. I think there's already enough "fresh" about this film though, so I'm not too worried about that aspect.

Robin Hood's story has been done numerous time in the past. Perhaps we have tried every possible way to tell his tale, so there is not much surprise left. It is easy to like his personality and act of helping the weak and poor ones despite his unclear motivation. I see good action in the trailer. As long as the team gives enough time to build the plot, I think it will be an easy success.

@Glimm, that's true. There aren't a whole lot of surprises left. I think they might be emphasizing the "war-hardened" bit more than other adaptations I've seen. However, the trailer makes it look like a lot of action, which worries me a bit. Then again, those kinds of scenes are usually the best ones for trailers.

This is the first I've heard that Robin Hood was supposed to have visited the Middle East. In England there is a big rivalry between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire as to which county can lay claim to him. The early stories told of him living in the woods of Nottinghamshire, and the Sheriff of Nottingham trying to track him down. However modern interpretations that take some historical evidence into account have him living in Yorkshire, around Barnsdale Bar to be precise, which is now a turn off from the Great North Road (A1). There is also some evidence that he was living near Wentbridge, which is not far from Barnsdale Bar, and has its own woodland valley by the name of Brockadale.

 

If Robin Hood was supposed to be an outlaw, then it makes sense that he may have moved betwen Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, as they are not that far from each other, and the Great North Road passes through both of them.

 

It may even be that there were a number of people who went by the name of Robin Hood.

 

Anyhow, any dramatisation of his life will be of interest.

@Cherry-Chan I hadn't heard that before either but I like the idea of him being in the Crusades. It makes sense for a man during that time period. I didn't know about the rivalry between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. I think you're right; he was an outlaw, so it's unlikely he called any one place home. However, surely he wasn't born in two places at once. Does either place claim to be his birthplace?

 

@Glimm I'll be honest, I don't really understand the era either. It looks like they couldn't pick just one. Obviously, there's medieval, then there seems to be some industrialism, and then I swear there were chariots in that trailer. It just seems all over the place.

Hi @Hal, I'm not sure if either of them claim to be his birthplace. It seems to be more a case of claiming to be the area of his predominant activity. I know that in Yorkshire they called the airport near Doncaster and Sheffield Robin Hood Airport. Also there is a place near Wakefield in Yorkshire called Robin Hood.

 

Yes, it's an interesting idea that he may have been in the Crusades. I would like to know more about that bit of history.

@Cherry-Chan, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, his birthplace is supposed to be in Yorkshire, specifically Sheffield, which fits in with the name of their airport. I would like to know more about the Crusades as well. I feel like it's something I really should know more about but we never really covered it in detail at school.

Of course! Wikipedia! Thanks for reminding me - I must take a look at the entry for Robin Hood.

 

I hadn't realised that, according to the story, Robin Hood lost his property while away at war (the Crusades), which is how he ended up an outlaw. When we used to watch tv as kids, or hear stories about him, that bit was never emphasised. The story always used to begin with him living in the woods with his merry band of outlaws!

 

I particularly remember the corpulent Friar Tuck who loved his food and drink, and was a very jolly man.