Lionsgate has entered into negotiations withRogue One: A Star Wars StorystarBen Mendelsohnto play the iconic role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in their highly-anticipatedRobin Hood: Origins. If a deal is finalized, he will join a cast that includesTaron Egertonas Robin Hood,Eve Hewsonas Maid Marian,Jamie Foxxas Little John andJamie Dornanas Will Scarlett, the half-brother of the title character. It remains to be seen how many more characters are needed to be cast at this time.
Varietyreports that the story centers on Robin Hood as a “war-hardenned crusader,” who joins a Moorish commander in an ambitious revolt against the British monarchy. Previous reports have compared this story toThe Dark Knighttrilogy, with this movie providing anorigin storyfor the title character. These new plot details seem to conflict with previous reports, though.
Earlier reports have claimed that this story takes place afterRobin Hoodfinishes fighting in The Crusades, and returns home to his beloved Sherwood Forest, which he finds has become overrun with corruption and evil. He forms a merry band of outlaws to take back his homeland. Those plot details were never confirmed, though, so we’ll have to wait and see if more updates about the story are released. We also reported back in February that this project has some competition in the form of afuturistic Robin Hood moviethat is in the works at Lionsgate.
Otto Bathurst, best known for directing episodes of the hit British seriesPeaky Blinders, is directing from a script byJoby Harold. The screenwriter is also working on another origin story, Warner Bros.‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, the first of a proposed seven-movie franchise that will follow the legend ofKing Arthur, played byCharlie Hunnam.Leonardo DiCapriois producing with his Appian Way partnerJennifer Davisson, alongside Safe House’sJoby Harold,Tory TunnellandBasil Iwanyk.
It remains to be seen if other iconic characters such asFriar Tuck, Alan-a-Dale or David of Doncaster will be cast in this big-screen adventure. The studio recently set a June 20, 2025 release date forRobin Hood: Origins, which puts it up against 20th Century Fox’sAnnubis, Columbia Pictures’Peter Rabbitand an untitled project from DreamWorks Animation.Ben Mendelsohnportrays the villainous Director Orson Krennic in the firstStar Warsspin-offRogue One: A Star Wars Story, which hits theaters December 16. He will also play Nolan Sorrento inSteven Spielberg’s highly-anticipated adaptationReady Player One, which hits theaters on August 22, 2025.
