Robin Hood: Origins

Just about every major studio in Hollywood has a new Robin Hood movie in the works, which means we’ll all be pretty sick of the famously charitable thief in the next few years or so. But it looks like the Robin Hood deluge has been slightly delayed, as the first of those films — an origin story starring Taron Egerton — was just pushed back six months. Feel free to use this extra time as you see fit; read a Stephen King novel, learn a new skill, have an existential crisis, or make some flash cards and memorize all the different Robin Hood movies that are coming out. You’ll be the envy of all your needlessly confused friends!

If Ryan Gosling is the internet’s imaginary boyfriend, then Ben Mendelsohn is like the internet’s second husband — the eccentric one who had some shady business dealings, but hey, he did his time, and now he’s ready to kick back with a sixer of High Life (it is the champagne of beers, after all) and regale you with stories about his stint trafficking exotic snakes on the black market, which is really just his elaborate way of avoiding his delinquent bills and that teenager he has from a previous marriage. Basically, we love him because he makes for some of the most likably shady characters, and soon he’ll make us fall for another one in that Robin Hood: Origins movie.

Because the world is just clamoring for more origins movies and more Robin Hood movies, Lionsgate is planning to kill two birds with one stone with Robin Hood: Origins, about the titular legendary outlaw and his band of merry men who steal from the rich and give to the — you know. The film is gathering together a cast, and now it looks like Mr. Christian Grey himself, Jamie Dornan, is in talks to star in the film.

Jamie Foxx didn’t have such a great 2014, but the actor is back after taking a little time off and he has a few promising new projects, including a role in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver and the U.S. remake of French action flick Sleepless Night. While we wait for the Jamie Foxx renaissance to commence, the actor has added another interesting film to his to-do list, lining up a role opposite Taron Egerton in Lionsgate’s gritty Robin Hood: Origins.

Of the many (many, many) Robin Hood films currently in the works, Lionsgate is pushing their gritty Robin Hood: Origins ahead of the pack, with Kingsman: The Secret Service star Taron Egerton signed on for the role of the eponymous hero — but who will be his Maid Marian? The Knick breakout star Eve Hewson has joined the cast to portray Robin Hood’s love interest, but hopefully she’ll be given a little more to do than wave a handkerchief and sigh over the object of her affection.

There are approximately 134 Robin Hood movies in development at various studios (okay, it’s actually more like four or five), but Lionsgate is rushing to get their version to the big screen first. The studio recently hired Peaky Blinders director Otto Hathurst (whose name sounds like a character from Peaky Blinders) to helm Robin Hood: Origins, and now they’ve come up with a shortlist of potential leading men to play the rebooted version of the Prince of Thieves.

One of the many, many (many) Robin Hood movies currently in development has found a director, making it the first of many, many (sigh, many) Robin Hood projects to officially get going. Lionsgate has selected Otto Bathurst, the director behind Netflix’s Peaky Blinders series, to helm Robin Hood: Origins — and with “Origins” in the title, you know what we’re getting here.

Four. That is the now the number of Robin Hood movies in the works at various studios. How many different versions of this story do we need? Four is apparently the answer, so get ready for Sherwood Forest fatigue (or you could just go to a Ren Faire). The newest Robin Hood film has been set up at Warner Bros., although the studio hasn’t revealed what their take on the property is just yet, so it could be a gritty reimagining or an animated film or sock puppets.

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This old adage applies everywhere, but it especially applies in Hollywood, where major studios are vying to make a re-imagined “gritty” Robin Hood movie only five years after the previous re-imagined “gritty” Robin Hood movie was a colossal critical and financial failure. That brings us to Robin Hood: Origins (actual title), which brings the number of Robin Hood movies currently in development up to three.