I’ve always been interested in contemporary adaptations of literary and film classics (as is evident with the Disturbia Movie Trailer posting). Well some interesting news just hit the wire that Russel Crowe has signed on to play the Sheriff of Nottingham, in a modern day REVISIONIST live-action Robin Hood adaptation titled Nottingham.
Nottingham is a 180 degree spin of the Robin Hood story-line where the Sheriff is the protagonist and Robin Hood is the bad guy. Since the original Robin Hood story was a spin on the classic good vs. evil structure, I’m not exactly sure this will work into a great story since it basically brings the dynamics to it’s usual balance. But I can tell you this, I’m interested.
Both Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns), Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Hannibal) and Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead) have been attached to the project at other studios. But now Universal is trying to get the picture made but I’m sure whomever ends up sitting in the directors chair probably won’t be quite as name-worthy. Either way, could me in.
Sources say that Crowe’s deal is for $20 million against a 20 percent backend.
The announcement comes at the end of a bidding war between Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, DreamWorks Pictures and Columbia Pictures. The Hollywood Reporter says that the script was sold only 36 hours after the script had gone out: “And the writers — whose “Sleeper Cell” Showtime had canceled on January 25 — became part of one the biggest deals in some time.”
Universal hopes to push the film into production by years end. I smell a possible Summer 2008 release.
February 5th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Um… you should read the actual stories in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety [both are available on line]. It’s called going to the source instead of using a condensed version like the Reuter’s piece.
Nottingham isn’t going to be a “modern day” film at all, though I read one website’s version that claimed that in error. This script is “revisionist”, which only means that the old story is being re-considered and revised. And according to those trade articles, Robin will be less the hero and the Sheriff less the villain. In fact, Robin will be suspected of murders.
Nowhere does any article say that Ridley Scott was “attached” to the film at another studio. He is expected to be one of the directors Universal is considering.
Russell Crowe hasn’t said Robin Hood was the Bad Guy. That implication comes from the writers. Russell Crowe, as far as I know, hasn’t commented on the film yet.
One ought to read news carefully before writing about it, so you can get the facts straight before offering opinions. This is how stories get twisted.
February 6th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Mimi,
Thank you for the modern day correction. I do not know how I got this idea when researching the story.
As for Ridley Scott, more than three sources have said that he was developing the film at another studio? Is this wrng?
>Russell Crowe hasn’t said Robin Hood was the Bad Guy. That implication comes from the writers. Russell Crowe, as far as I know, hasn’t commented on the film yet.
I’m not sure if you could tell, but it’s called a headline. It’s not meant to be taken literally. When IGN reports “Sutherland Looks in Mirrors” they are not really reporting that Keifer likes to look at himself in mirrors (although he might)
November 5th, 2007 at 7:25 am
Ha Ha Ha
February 24th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
There was another version a while ago called ROBIN AND MARIAN which starred an aging Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn and Robert Shaw as Robin, Marian, and Nottingham, respectively, living out there lives 20 or so years after the events commonly shown in the Robin Hood tale. This version also showed Nottingham sympathetically, maybe even to the extent that he came of better than the hero. Richard III in particular was imagined far differently then his typically heroic image in the Robin Hood tale. I’d imagine this retelling would be something along those lines, Shaw even looks and speaks in a manner similar to Crowe.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:02 am
The only think I question is how those that know the age-old tales of Robin Hood are going to take it? I’m semi opened minded but thats more curiosity than genuine interest, it seems off base for Robin to be the bad guy…I can see the sheriff as a pawn, or not quite so bad, but thats as far as I can take it. I’m curious as to how they’re going to pull of this movie….I hope people know what they’re seeing when they take there seats.