There is a new Sheriff in town. And a new Robin Hood. And a new Maid Marian. And they are slightly different from what you might remember.
Robin Hood is a reimagined take on the classic tale of the forest-dwelling archer who took from the rich and gave to the poor. In the new 10-episode MGM+ series premiering on November 2, Robin of Locksley is redefined as more than just a romantic lead. He’s a complex hero navigating loyalty, love, and rebellion in a world torn between crown and country, where the clash between Normans and Saxons plays just as pivotal a role.
In the series, the Robin we know and love has evolved far beyond his origins in the ballads of the late Middle Ages, where the hero first took shape. Beginning with his childhood as the son of Hugh and Joan (Tom Mison and Anastasia Griffith), viewers meet Robin (Jack Patten) as his family’s land and property are seized because of their Saxon heritage. As he grows, he witnesses his father fall victim to the ruthless Sheriff of Nottingham (Sean Bean) and his Norman enforcers, who are determined to erase the Saxon presence from their domain.
Jack Patten as Robin Hood (Aleksandar Letic/MGM+)
Far grittier and more human than previous incarnations, when it came to adapting the legend into a modern-day man audiences could connect with, showrunner and executive producer John Glenn and executive producer/director Jonathan English understood that the key wasn’t in reinventing Robin Hood’s heroism, but in grounding it.
“Every generation seems to have a version of Robin Hood,” said Glenn. “And it’s amazing how well he’s known in so many different countries and so many different cultures. And I think it’s because he sort of represents this sort of caped Avenger, this vigilante figure. He fights for the common man. He fights for the common people, the peasants of the period, and those are very relatable things now today.”
“The disparity between wealth and poverty in the world today is extreme, and as it was in that period in the Middle Ages. And I think he’s a very relatable figure because of that,” continued Glenn. “He’s a sort of Batman from the period. I think those were the ideas that kind of keyed us into it, but doing it in a very relatable, human, historical, grounded way, which we haven’t really seen that version done before.”
MGM+
Young Robin of Locksley isn’t the only one getting a reimagining. The villainous Sheriff of Nottingham also receives a fresh take, with Bean stepping into the role and bringing new depth to the character, one that audiences may find far more relatable than his past mustache-twirling incarnations.
“I think they’d better be able to identify with a man who’s been put in power. It is quite a thankless job, really, because he’s a pencil pusher. In some sense, he’s a tax collector; he has to balance the books, so a lot of his time is spent not slashing people to pieces and being malevolent,” explained Bean. “A lot of his time is very [much] kind of a huge responsibility on his shoulders in terms of running this new city, this new town of Nottingham.”
“He only resorts to retaliation and oppression because of the rebellion that is being caused by Robin and his community, Robin Hood and his community,” he said. “It’s not as though he’s just going out there and destroying them. But it can be obviously seen as repression, because they want them to change their religion and the politics of the time, as very much in favor of the Normans, and very much the Anglo-Saxons were downtrodden and the lands were being taken away, so it wasn’t a very nice situation for them.”
Lauren McQueen as Marian, Jack Patten as Robin Hood (Aleksandar Letic/MGM+)
Even the fair Maid Marian stands apart in this reimagined world of Robin Hood, portrayed not as a damsel in distress but as a sharp, capable partner whose courage makes her every bit Robin’s equal.
“I wanted to put my own stamp on it, and the writing was such an amazing guide for me,” said Lauren McQueen. “Her journey and the character arc of this Maid Marian was just something that I really admired when I read it.”
She added, “Even though she has a very sheltered and abusive childhood, she has this inner strength in her that really grows and flourishes as her eyes are opened to this world of opportunities.”
And as for Robin himself? Star Patten wants audiences to remember that, despite all the changes, at heart, it is a love story.
“It is sort of Shakespearean in a way, isn’t it? And it’s entertaining,” said Patten. “These two people on paper shouldn’t be together, especially in that time. So to see them fight for their love, it’s quite a vulnerable thing, but it’s beautiful. What’s not to like? I think younger audiences should embrace that.”
Robin Hood, Series Premiere, Sunday, November 2, 9/8c, MGM+
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