Is the world ready for another ROBIN HOOD? Why not? We've seen countless iterations of the legendary outlaw on the silver screen – dating back to the early 1900s – so it doesn't seem a stretch to think we'll see countless more. (The most recent was 2010's Ridley Scott film starring Russell Crowe.) This one, directed by Otto Bathurst (Black Mirror) is an origin story starring Taron Egerton as the titular rogue, who seeks vengeance against the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn) with the help of his mentor John (Jamie Foxx). All of the familiar elements are there, with characters who've been around for ages, though this being 2018 the film is given a rough-and-tumble new look that makes it grittier and more action-driven than any of the versions we've seen before.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with members of the cast and the director to talk about the ROBIN HOOD legacy and how the latest one fits into such a grand tradition.
First up are the main merry men themselves: Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx. The duo are in much of ROBIN HOOD together, as John and Robin – initially enemies – join forces to take down the evil Sheriff and his reign of terror. The duo has plenty of chemistry on screen, and it was a pleasure to talk to them about the history of Robin Hood, their intense workout regimens, and what they see for the future of the characters.
Ben Mendelsohn is no stranger to villainy, having played some very bad dudes in recent films like EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, ROGUE ONE and READY PLAYER ONE, just to name a few. In real life, he couldn't be nicer. Thankfully, he doesn't mind talking about the rotten men he plays; as you'll see in the interview below, Ben ranks the Sheriff of Nottingham on the Mendelsohn Villain scale, how the Sheriff's coat helped get him into character, and how far over the top he was allowed to go.
Jamie Dornan tackles the role of Will in ROBIN HOOD, and it's a distinctly different version of the Will Scarlett character we've seen before. Seeing how he's become attached to Robin's main squeeze Maid Marian (Eve Hewson) while Robin was off fighting in war, Will and Robin have some considerable tension once the latter returns home (to Will's credit, everyone thought Robin had died overseas). Jamie and I spoke about that tension, as well as Jamie's relationship to the Robin Hood mythos, whether or not we may see Will again in a sequel and more.
Finally, we have the man whose vision makes this a unique new ROBIN HOOD. Director Otto Bathurst has extensive experience in the UK television scene, having helmed episodes of Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and the upcoming His Dark Materials, but ROBIN HOOD is easily his biggest production to date. We spoke about how he approached a new version of a timeless tale, how many of the story's themes still resonate today, casting Taron Egerton, and more!