Russell On Robin Hood

Thanks to the ET Online website, here's a very brief clip of their upcoming coverage of Robin Hood, featuring Russell and Cate Blanchett. It'll be on Monday night, so check your local stations for times!

Robin Hood Set Photos

Action: Actors playing the Sheriff of Notthingham's men storm a peasants' village on location in
Bourne Woods, Surrey

Fear: The sheriff's men ride through a village causing chaos as the villagers cower under the bridge

Long live King John: The soldiers bear a flag of King John - who took over England after the death of his brother King Richard

Source: Daily Mail

Russell In Empire Magazine

The April issue of Empire Magazine features a six-page spread on Russell, including an interview with Martyn Palmer, who first interviewed him 19 years ago. The interview was done during the filming of State of Play in Washington, D.C. Among other things, Russell talks about working with Ridley Scott and about gaining weight for roles. The spread also includes some great pictures, and a list of the Top 5 Russell Crowe Performances, selected by Dan Jolin. The April issue will be available in stores Thursday, February 26.

"Russell Crowe tells us about his triumphs, the things he missed out on and his turn in accomplished new thriller State of Play. Crowe has heralded a return of the rugged and brooding thinking man to Hollywood screens, from his Oscar-winning turn as Gladiator Maximus to the introverted and brilliant mathematician John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. He also tells us why Ridley Scott's Nottingham fits the bill to be one of his next projects--because "It's Robin Hood, mate. I mean, come on!""

Nottingham Now Robin Hood

In an interview with Larry Carroll at MTV Movies Blog, director Ridley Scott is now revealing that "Robin Hood" and not "Nottingham" will be the title of the latest collaboration between he and Russell Crowe.

“Oh yes, I think we are just going to call it ‘Robin Hood’,” Scott revealed. “We start in almost 2 months.”

In an attempt to clarify all the confusion from a few months ago about Russell Crowe playing multiple roles, Scott was eager to say that he had changed his mind, and that Crowe will simply portray the famed archer who rises from an unlikely background. “Robin Hood is in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion,” he said of how we’ll find the character early in the film “He is a bowman in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion.”

“[Crowe as both Robin and the Sheriff of Nottingham] was an idea so far back, way back when at the time I had this proposed to me, and I read it and thought, ‘I don’t really know what it does for it, but it’s alright’,” Scott recalled of the now-abandoned idea. “It is better to simply have the evolution of a character called Robin Hood, who will come out of a point in the Crusades which is the end.”

Ridley also dispelled all the talk of Russell not being fit enough for the role as "bullsh*t" and reveals that Russell's been working with a bow and arrow for about 4 months.

Whatever it's called, myself and lots of other Russell fans are waiting breathlessly!

Cate Blanchett as Maid Marion?

According to the Telegraph, among other sources, Cate Blanchett is looking like more of a certainty for the role of Maid Marion opposite Russell in Nottingham. Once it was deemed that Sienna Miller would no longer be playing the part, it was rumored that Kate Winslet, along with Blanchett and Rachel Weisz, were being considered.

According to Mark Strong, who is also part of the cast:

"I think Cate Blanchett is set to take the Maid Marian part. She is a wonderful actress and it would make it a much classier film if she was in it."

Great news if it's true! Strong is right. She's a wonderful actress!

New Possibilities for Maid Marian

According to Fox News, Oscar nominated Kate Winslet has turned down the role of Maid Marian in "Nottingham". Fox also reports that an offer has gone out to Cate Blanchett, but "is likely to come back negative", and that the back-up plan is an offer to Rachel Weisz. I hadn't thought about Rachel Weisz before, but I can see her in this role. I loved her in The Fountain and The Constant Gardener.

Supposed Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott Feud

Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott feuding? This rumor is raging like a California wildfire this morning. And I refuse to believe a word of it, unless one of the two players involved steps up and says something directly.

The mamor source seems to be the New York Post, which ran a story this morning in Page Six titled "Director Stresses Out Crowe". Supposedly, Russell wants to get Ridley fired from "Nottingham" because he blames Ridley for "Body of Lies" (their last collaboration) receiving poor reviews from some critics.

Also, according to a direct quote in the same article:

"Ridley is the only one who is willing to stand up to Russell and tell him he's too fat and that he can't show up four hours late to the set," said one source. "He [Russell] wants someone he can control."

If even one-tenth of the rumors written about Russell were true, the man would be doing fourteen films a year and would have thrown a telephone at at least half the people in Hollywood!
The Post didn't even get the plot of "Nottimgham" right, so why believe anything else?

Russell and Ridley have a long-standing friendship and both have commented often about how well they work together. I'm not buying this one unless one of them comes forward and confirms it.