New 'Nottingham' Details and Cate Blanchett IS Maid Marian
Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting
You ever get the feeling that a film is going to have a rocky road in front of it, no matter what? This certainly seems to be the case with Ridley Scott's Nottingham. Call me an optimist, because I still have faith that Nottingham (or whatever it decides to call itself) has a shot at being one heck of a flick. Things first started to look up when it was rumored that Cate Blanchett would be taking over the role of Maid Marian, and today Variety has confirmed that the Aussie actress has officially signed on. Speaking as someone who puts Blanchett alongside Meryl Steep as one of the coolest chicks working today, I'm thrilled that Crowe is getting a co-star that can hold her own.But that's not all, because Scott and company finally decided to open up, and new story details have been revealed. The original script was written by Kung Fu Panda's, Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, but Brian Helgeland was later brought in for a rewrite. According to Variety, "Crowe plays Robin of Loxley in an original story that hews close to historical facts of the period. Abandoned as a child, he finds community with the common people of Nottingham. Robin's abandonment and trust issues hamper his ability to fall in love. He meets his match in Marian, a strong, independent woman." The film is now being pitched as Gladiator meets Robin Hood -- I guess Crowe and Scott figured the formula worked well enough the first time, so why not capitalize on some of that 'Maximus magic'?
So now that we have a brand new Maid Marian and a look at what is in store for Crowe's man of the people, who's with me when I say that it's about time we give Scott's re-boot a fair shake?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-26-2009 @ 4:46PM
Brant said...
Both Crowe (45) and Blanchett (40) are too old to play these characters.
Uma Thurman was 21 when she did her stint as Marian. Even Kevin Costner was only 36 when he did 'Prince of Thieves.'
Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn were 46 when they did 'Robin and Marian'.
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2-26-2009 @ 5:19PM
Chris said...
I'm intrigued enough by the archetype and story of Robin Hood to see this.
However, In the past year or so, I've become a huge fan of the BBC TV series Robin Hood. As campy and as family oriented as it is, it is a great show. It's gone down a darker route for season 2 and the upcoming season (possibly final) will just keep that ball rolling.
Having another adaptation of Robin Hood being talked of/produced during the presence of a current take on Robin Hood may interfere with the way some people view the overall myth and character, especially for those familiar and are fans of the show.
I'll still see the Ridley Scott version though.
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2-26-2009 @ 7:47PM
joe said...
woohoo, I love Cate Blanchett! sorry, she's one of my favorite actresses. anyway, when i first heard about the project, ifigured what the hey, sure because I liked the Adventures of Robin Hood with Erroyl Flynn, Disney's Robin Hood, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (no i haven't seen all of Robin Hood with Kevin Costner yet). now that Cate Blanchett's in it, i'm changing it to a definetely. Truth be told, I don't think I've seen a Ridley Scott film yet so this should be interesting (i did see parts of Blade Runner but not the whole thing so I don't count it)
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2-27-2009 @ 8:51AM
lw said...
Do yourself a favor and watch Robin of Sherwood, a BBC production from the early 80's that had Michael Praed and later Jason Connery as Robin. A fantastic series all around, with a great cast including a young Ray Winstone. This should still be the measuring stick for all future Robin Hoods.
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3-01-2009 @ 11:19AM
Bill said...
In the midst of this financial crisis, I think I would like to see any movie about robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Cate Blanchett is a plus. Russell Crowe not so much.
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