Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Robin from the Hood

Outlaw is rougher and edgier as he returns to the big screen Take a bow: the merry men who played Robin

- BY TOM BRYANT Head of Showbiz

starred the in 1922 version, plus films like The Mark of Zorro. Dubbed The King of Hollywood, he was a founding member of United Artists.

was a hit in the 1938 swashbuckl­er The Adventures of Robin Hood. It won three Oscars and was 84th best film of all time in a 2001 poll by Channel 4. played the outlaw in the black and white TV series from 1955 to 1959. The theme song, by Dick James, was later parodied by Monty Python. Now Frank Clayton in Emmerdale,

starred in TV series Robin of Sherwood from 1984 to 1985 before handing over to Jason “son of Sean” Connery. played the lead in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. The film’s song (Everything I Do) I Do It For You had a record 16 weeks at No1.

was criticised for his Yorkshire accent in Ridley Scott’s 2010 film. When a Radio 4 critic implied he sounded Irish, he said “b ******* ” and stormed out. WHEN Robin Hood bursts back on to the big screen, he will not be leading a band of merry men.

British actor Taron Egerton, who plays the outlaw in his latest outing, has said we can expect a grittier, darker character “for the 21st century”.

The 27-year-old, who starred in Kingsman: The Secret Service and Eddie the Eagle, follows in the footsteps of past Robins including Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner.

And he said: “It will be less selfrevere­ntial than the Robin Hoods that have come before. I think the problem with Robin Hood sometimes is that… I love the Kevin Costner one and I think there were some great moments in the Russell Crowe one as well, but they’re very, very ‘Robin Hood-y’.

“Ours is less Robin Hood-y. It’s grittier, it’s darker, it’s a Robin Hood for the 21st century.”

REVOLT

Film bosses have said that in Robin Hood: Origins – out next month – “war-hardened Crusader” Robin and Little John, played by Jamie Foxx, mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown”.

It is directed by Otto Bathurst, who worked on Peaky Blinders. Taron said: “If you’ve seen Peaky Blinders, you’ll know something of the tone of it.”

He had previously said the film was a “real revisionis­t version of the story”.

Taron added: “There’s no singing and riding through the glen in this; it’s a real war movie. Quite an anti-establishm­ent war movie, I would say.

“And Robin’s not perfect in it, either, which is what I like about it. He’s not a classic hero, he makes mistakes.”

The actor has also revealed he keeps cutting himself practising archery.

He said: “The string keeps catching the skin on my arm and I’ve been cut to ribbons. I’m playing Robin Hood, so I hope I become good at it!”

Co Down star Jamie Dornan plays Will Scarlet with Bono’s daughter Eve Hewson as Maid Marian, Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck.

 ??  ?? ACTION SHOT Taron takes aim as Robin in new film NOT MERRY With Foxx as Little John Douglas Fairbanks Errol Flynn Richard Greene Michael Praed Kevin Costner Russell Crowe ALL A QUIVER With Eve as love interest Marian
ACTION SHOT Taron takes aim as Robin in new film NOT MERRY With Foxx as Little John Douglas Fairbanks Errol Flynn Richard Greene Michael Praed Kevin Costner Russell Crowe ALL A QUIVER With Eve as love interest Marian

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