Few folklore tales are as popular or immediately recognizable as Robin Hood. The story has evolved over centuries through different media, and the outlaw’s tale is still as timeless as they come. The character comes back to the big screen with ROBIN HOOD, starring Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx, opening on November 21.

Tickets are now on sale for ROBIN HOOD. The movie retains core elements of the character’s story, while adding some very modern-feeling elements to spin the outlaw in a new direction. Screenwriters Ben Chandler and David James Kelly have been as daring as the Merry Men in pulling the 15th-century story into our current era.

A Medieval Heist

First things first: ROBIN HOOD has a lot of instantly recognizable story elements. There’s the character’s look, and his drive to help the poor by overthrowing the rich, for starters. As timeless as this story is on paper, however, it can only be told on the big screen so many times in the same way. That’s where this movie veers into its own direction.

The heart of the legend is still very much at the center of ROBIN HOOD. Yet the film also borrows from another popular genre. ROBIN HOOD is very much a heist movie, which makes it fit right in among the 2018 movie crowd. It sits alongside films like OCEANS 8, WIDOWS, and even BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.

This new movie directed by Otto Bathurst (Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders) pushes Robin’s allies, the so-called Merry Men, more to the forefront than they are in many other versions. Robin plans to overthrow the vicious Sheriff of Nottingham (played by Ben Mendelsohn). He orchestrates the plot with this whole group, in the manner of a heist. There’s a difference from the OCEANS films, however. These characters aren’t stealing for their own benefit, or for revenge, but to help those who are less fortunate.

Sleek And Modern

A modern twist has been applied to more than just the story. The film is clearly a period adventure. It is set centuries ago; Robin Hood is a veteran of the Crusades. The tone, however, is very much in the vein of 2018. The action sequences are vibrant and electric. The film is shot with a forward-thinking attitude that immediately separates the film from other versions.

The result is very much in the vein of last year’s underrated KING ARTHURE: LEGEND OF THE SWORD. Character costumes are fashionable in a current sense, and the whole production is very lavish. What’s more, the heroes themselves are very much of this era. We hear this in their dialogue, and see it in their interactions.

Robin Hood might be timeless, but a new perspective can illuminate the source material. We don’t know how much of the story has been altered. (Even if we did, we wouldn’t tell you.) We’re excited to be surprised by Robin Hood again!

Get tickets now for ROBIN HOOD, opening on November 21.