Russell Crowe as Robin Hood

Here he is! Our very first glimpse of Russell Crowe as Robin Hood, filming Ridley Scott’s eagerly anticipated £110 million remake of the classic tale. Opening in theatres on May 14, 2010, the Universal action-drama co-stars Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave, Mark Strong, Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand, Alan Doyle, Oscar Isaacs, Lea Seydoux and William Hurt. According to the press, the 45-year old actor has started a crusade of dieting and exercise to lose more than four stone. Crowe is said to have eaten food with a low glycaemic index, such as peanuts, apricots and porridge which leave the dieter feeling satisfied for longer. He has also cycled daily in preparation for the film.

USA Today says:

Sporting a Caesar haircut and slimmed-down physique, Crowe shed the weight he gained for his portly characters in State of Play and Body of Lies. He also updated the bandit's wardrobe.

"He doesn't have the old Robin Hood tights," says producer Brian Grazer. "He's got armor. He's very medieval. He looks, if anything, more like he did in Gladiator than anything we're used to seeing with Robin Hood."

And though it won't be easy replicating the box office or Oscar success of the 2000 film —Gladiator raked in $458 million worldwide and won five Academy Awards, including best picture — Grazer says Robin Hood's story was ripe for revisiting.

"Oddly, it's a metaphor for today," Grazer says. "He's trying to create equality in a world where there are a lot of injustices. He's a crusader for the people, trying to reclaim some of the ill-gotten gains of the wealthy. That's a universal theme."
Not that the film will linger on the contemporary. "We just shot a scene where Maid Marion fires a flaming bow and arrow into the night sky. It's just a cool story."

Apparently the film has a Gladiator-style retelling of the old English legend, in which Robin Hood's psychological issues are examined. Crowe plays Robin of Loxley in an “original story of Robin Hood that hews close to historical facts of the period. Abandoned as a child, he finds community with the common people of Nottingham. Robin's abandonment and trust issues hamper his ability to fall in love. He meets his match in Marian (Blanchett), a strong, independent woman."

Sienna Miller was originally offered the role as Maid Marian, but the producers of the film feared that her slim physique would appear to make Crowe seem too chubby on the screen, so the part of Robin’s love interest has been given to 39 year old Cate Blanchett.

Some of the reaction on the web has been interesting:

• errol flynn will be turning in his grave, first costner now bloody crowe...this is sooooo wrong!

• bloody 'eck. Hope 'e's got the accent right. Be very disappointing if he hasn't. Much as I love the Aussie accent it just won't sound right on Robin.
  Vonne,Yass (down under)
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  Expect lots of slow motion blurry cam shots from Ridley 'I used to make good movies but then started using cgi' Scott.
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  Kevin Costners American accent speaking and clean shaven Robin hood was the worst ever portrayed. The film was fun but he was laughable! The current BBC Robin Hood is a joke too with Robin looking like a member of a Brit-pop band! Patrick Bergin was the most authentic looking Robin Hood since Errol Flynn's 1938 Adventures of Robin Hood masterpiece that is still not beaten today! Russell looks as brutish as he always does, not exactly the classic look for Robin Hood and not much of the Lincoln Green in the costume department either. I'm almost biting my tongue when I say this but they should have tried again with Orlando Bloom, he's not the greatest actor without a good supporting cast but he at least looks the part and won't have to fake his accent for a change! ..Besides, he’s only good with a bow and arrow in his hands.
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  First off, Ridley Scott is going for the real look of how Robin Hood would have been in the era he lived in. In the era that Robin Hood lived in, men didn't wear tights as tights weren't invented yet. Also were does everyone get that Robin Hood is some kind of pretty boy or some young stud? seriously? the myth of Robin Hood never states the character's age. Hell, the myth of Robin Hood is technically flawed on several accounts. Ridley Scott is delivering a realistic & griddy Robin Hood. If you want the whole fantasy green tight wearing Robin Hood go watch the classic of Michael Curtiz' "The Adventures Of Robin Hood". If you want a comedic take on the myth go watch Mel Brooks' "Men In Tights". If you want a inadmissible Robin Hood film then go watch Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves". You'll see why he got a Razzie for that performance. But hey, Kevin Costner's been nominated for a total of 14 Razzies. Then there's the BBC's Robin Hood who looks like a punk band Robin Hood which is just a joke. All you people who are pre-judging or hating on Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood" for being "inaccurate" are just being either ignorant, narrow-minded, ill-advise, or all of the above. Technically, Ridley's verison is going to be the most historically correct version.P.S. Orlando Bloom would have been the cliché fantasy pick for Robin Hood something that's been done already with Errol Flynn.