Hollywood Dusts Off Yet Another Old Story For An Upcoming Robin Hood Reboot

In an era of seemingly endless sequels and reimaginings of older films, many movie fans have lamented the dearth of truly original plots and characters over the past several years.

But there have been more than a few bright spots here and there — and Robin Hood fans are hoping that a reboot starring Hugh Jackman will provide another entertaining chapter in that character’s long Hollywood story.

A lengthy lineage

Few narratives have been retold in as many ways as that of Robin of Sherwood, who famously stole from the rich and gave to the poor. There’s a film for fans of all sorts of movies:

• The Classics: You can’t find a more vintage telling of the story than the 1938 version starring Errol Flynn as the title character.
• Animation: Disney put its signature spin on the tale in the 1973 film portraying a cartoon fox in the leading role.
• Irreverent Comedy: No franchise is complete without a Mel Brooks spoof, which came in 1993 with “Robin Hood: Men In Tights.”

That last one was a clear parody of a film that came out earlier the same decade — “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves” — in which Kevin Costner portrayed the protagonist. And it has been the standard-bearer of the modern age ever since. But that could soon change.

Looking to the future

We don’t know too much about what Deadline called a “darker reimagining” of the Robin Hood story, but production is expected to begin early next year.

The last film to portray the character came out in 2018 and was widely panned, so writer-director Michael Sarnoski has the chore of bringing Robin Hood back into the good graces of audiences … and he says he’s excited for the opportunity to “bring this story to life in a powerful and meaningful way.”

Chris Agee May 6th, 2024

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