Russell Crowe signed on to play the Sheriff of Nottingham in Ridley Scott’s upcoming interpretation of the legendary good-vs-bad tale of Robin Hood back in October of 2007, but now he’s playing Robin Hood… also. 

Ridley Scott is well-known for his bigger than life movies (Blade Runner, Gladiator) and central characters (Hannibal, G.I. Jane).  Scott’s take on this story will be classic Ridley, and with a new twist.

“‘Nottingham’ is the ‘Gladiator’ version of Robin Hood,” super-producer Brian Grazer told MTV News about the upcoming twisted tale from the “American Gangster” tag team. “I think it will have the same propulsion that ‘Gladiator’ had - the same adrenaline hits.”

Told from the Sheriff’s point of view, the new movie centers around a familiar - yet very different - set of characters, director Ridley Scott said, revealing that his story begins when a legend first walks into history.

The Sheriff, then, strives to do right while caught in the middle of two wrongs – on one side a corrupt and unpopular King who orders him to arrest outlaws, on the other the outlaw himself who threatens to rouse the public in popular anarchy.

“[Caught between] the minority of haves and the majority of have nots,” Scott said.

[From MTV Movies Blog]

Christian Bale was rumored to be considering the part of Robin Hood, but when the the story was reworked both parts went to Crowe.  Production stopped in July while casting choices were being considered after the rework.  But, in his unique way of speaking, Russell Crowe said it takes time to do something well when it’s as universally known as the story of Robin Hood.

Crowe shared his side of story, saying that the movie is “one of those things where we’re taking our time with. You don’t want to be doing Robin Hood unless you’re going to be doing it really f*cking well. It’s got to be the best one ever done otherwise you should do something else.”

Although other details are kept for efficiency, Scott said that the dual roles would be “a good old clever adjustment of characters. One becomes the other. It changes.”

[From Aceshowbiz]

I’m sort of a traditionalist when it comes to stories of Sherwood Forest.  I’ll take Robin Hood the fox or Carey Elwes in tights over Kevin Costner of Locksley anyday, but this new take sounds interesting, like a completely different story.  The mergence of an antagonist and a protagonist has been done before, obviously, but since yet another Merry Men movie is being done, at least Ridley Scott is coming at it from a different angle.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Russell Crowe, his wife of five years, Danielle Spencer, and their two sons Charlie Crowe, who turns five in December, and Tennyson Crowe, two, are shown at the Botanical Gardens in Sydney on 8/29/08. Star ran the header image of Crowe last week in a feature called “Studs to Duds.” He has gained some weight. Photo Credit: ICON/Fame Pictures.