William Hurt has joined the cast of Ridley Scott’s untitled Robin Hood film. Hurt will play the Earl of Pembroke, William Marshall, a man who served four kings: Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John and Henry III. Marshall was a servant to the Plantagenet kings, who grew to become one of the most powerful men in Europe. Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, called Marshall the “greatest knight that ever lived.” The film is set to be a retelling of the classic story, set in a more historically accurate setting than previous adaptations.

The main cast has already been announced: Russell Crowe as Robin Hood, Cate Blanchett as Lady Marion, Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Eleanor, Mark Strong as Sir Godfrey, Oscar Issac as King John, Léa Seydoux as French Princess Isabella, and the Merry Men: Scott Grimes as Will Scarlet, Kevin Durand as Little John, Alan Doyle as Allan Adayle.

I’m still not quite sure who is playing the Sheriff of Nottingham. The original plan calld for Crowe to play a dual role as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff, but Scott has said that is no longer the case. While the official plot synopsis mentions the Sheriff (see after the jump), Scott has said that it’s the “history of the time” and the “entire country” who will become the real villain in his film.

Official Plot Synopsis: Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as Robin Hood, whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness. In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

The untitled Robin Hood adventure chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French. Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Blanchett), a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more.

source: THR