Hugh Jackman is not a merry man in the upcoming historical thriller The Death of Robin Hood, for which A24 released a trailer on Tuesday. Writer-director Michael Sarnoski‘s gritty take on the legendary outlaw looks to be a different Robin Hood story than has ever been seen on the big screen—the tagline is “He Was No Hero.” The moody, violent preview should build anticipation for when the film arrives in June.
Here’s everything we know so far about The Death of Robin Hood.
The Story
The Death of Robin Hood is based on the legend “Robin Hood’s Death,” which tells the story of the outlaw’s betrayal and demise at the hands of a person he trusted. This version, however, appears to be somewhat in the vein of Jackman’s previous film Logan, as Robin Hood attempts to leave his life of violence behind him while he cares for a young girl.
Sarnoski previously told Entertainment Weekly that the film is a reimagining of the Robin Hood myth that paints a complex portrait of the beloved outlaw. “There’s an old quote about Robin that sort of says he’s this murderous bandit who the common folk have decided to glorify, and I wanted to examine someone who was going through that in their lifetime, and trying to grapple with the role of storytelling and their actual identity,” Sarnoski said.
Here’s the official description: “Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.”
The Cast
In addition to Jackman, the cast includes Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as the aforementioned mysterious woman, Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu) as Little John, Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us), and Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place).
The Creative Team
Writer-director Sarnoski is a rising filmmaker with two acclaimed films under his belt, the Nicolas Cage-led indie drama Pig and the action-packed spinoff prequel A Quiet Place: Day One. Sarnoski shot Robin Hood in Northern Ireland on 35mm film.
The film is produced by Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, and Alexander Black. Pat Scola, who worked with Sarnoski on his previous two films, is the director of photography. Andrew Mondshein (A Quiet Place: Day One, The Sixth Sense) is the editor.
The Release Date
The Death of Robin Hood opens in theaters on June 19.
The Awards Chances
It’s too early to say, considering that the film has not screened publicly yet. But the cast is stacked with past award winners and nominees, and Sarnoski is a talented writer and director who is capable of making an awards contender. So we’ll see.
