For hundreds of years, people have told the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
This legendary outlaw famously ‘stole from the rich to give to the poor’ while battling the tyrannical Prince John and his lackey, the Sheriff of Nottingham.
But what if I told you you didn’t know the real story at all? Or at least the version you’d heard was missing some key details.
That’s the thrust (or should that be arrow point) of the new MGM Plus adaptation of Robin Hood, which sees Jack Patten take up the famous thief’s bow opposite Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Gladiator star Connie Nielsen.
This new version of the classic tale puts far more focus on the politics surrounding Robin’s journey from forester to rebel and the power players of the 12th Century who unwittingly emboldened Robin to stand up for the put-upon peasants.
Who better, then, to talk to about this new show than one of those power players, specifically Connie, who plays Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine in the new series.
Now Connie is, of course, no stranger to playing powerful women.
The veteran actor has previously played the daughter of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, Lucille, in Gladiator and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, in Wonder Woman.
Despite the impressive pedigree of her former roles, Connie thinks Eleanor is more than a match for these royals and demi-gods.
‘I think she’s on a par with Hippolyta,’ she told Metro. ‘You know, even though she did ride herself in the Crusades, Eleanor was not a warrior, but she was someone who fought for legitimacy and who understood power in an intrinsic way.
‘She’s an enlightened person in the sense that her court believes in the chivalry and romantic notion of the use of power for good.
‘That I wanted to bring into her from the beginning, that she does not wield power in a manipulative way. She uses the levers of power in an informed way.’
Indeed, the levers of power Connie mentions and the emphasis on the politics and machinations taking place around Robin – often without his knowledge – is definitely one of the new series’ greatest strengths, and it’s part of the reason the legendary actor was so keen to take on the role.
‘I always loved Robin Hood as a kid, she explained. It totally caught my fancy when I was a child, but when I read what this new version would be, I was so surprised by the decision to bring in real historical context and give it a deeper meaning and more personal context.’
‘I think that’s really, really powerful. It allows you to see the Sheriff of Nottingham in a very different way.
‘And you are privy for the first time ever to the actual political rivalry between the King and the Queen of England, and how the Queen is actually fighting to protect the interests of her children from their father.
‘That’s so juicy for an actor to get into.’
What did Metro make of Robin Hood?
Our Deputy TV Editor, Tom Percival, takes aim at this new adaptation of Nottingham’s most famous legend in his three-star review...
Robin Hood has been done to death at this point, and I’ll be honest, the news of another adaptation didn’t make me a very merry man.
That said, after watching five episodes of the new series, I find myself torn on this one. You see, there’s a lot to like in Robin Hood.
I think the acting’s great (You’d expect Sean Bean and Connie to be good, but Jack Patten and Lauren McQueen hold their own ), the production design is good, and I really enjoyed the show’s attempts to put a new spin on the well-worn legend.
On that note, the decision to lean into the wider historical context and play with the politics outside of Nottingham was a good one, allowing the show to tell a bigger story than previous adaptations.
This also has the effect of making previously flat characters like the Sheriff of Nottingham far more understandable, if not sympathetic.
Yes, it’s basically doing Game of Thrones, but it’s sporadically entertaining enough.
Sadly, though, it didn’t quite hit the bullseye, to use a clumsy archery metaphor. I can’t quite put my finger on it, to be honest. There’s just something about Robin Hood that doesn’t work for me.
I think it might be the vaguely fantastical elements clashing with the attempts at historical accuracy, or the fact that it’s telling an origin story for a character I’ve known for as long as I can remember, but while I could enjoy Robin Hood, I never really loved it.
Of course, Eleanor isn’t the only woman in Robin’s life; there’s also Maid Marian, played by Lauren McQueen, who has an expanded role in this series beyond simply being a love interest.
‘She’s got her own journey, her own struggles that we see,’ Lauren told us. ‘We see that she has had a really sheltered, abusive childhood, but she’s got her own ambitions.
‘She was described as daring and courageous, and for a woman in the 12th century, it was pretty exciting to read on the page a woman with such agency.
A big part of Marian’s agency and growth comes from her interactions with Eleanor, who takes Marian under her wing.
‘Marion starts as just a young girl who has never really seen much of the world, Lauren explained. ‘Eleanor is a lot more experienced, but [Marian] grows to have that similar power and independence.’
Lauren hopes that people watching at home, especially young women, will see Marian discovering her agency in a world where men make all the decisions and find it empowering.
In fact, she’s convinced that a big part of the show and Robin Hood’s appeal is that its themes of empowerment and social equality are just as timely now as they were in the 12th Century.
‘Robin Hood has been told, you know, for hundreds of years, but the themes are so relevant in today’s world, and people are going to resonate with that.
‘We still have wars, extreme poverty, and class division. The writing and the script make it really relevant, and people are going to connect to Marion and how she deals with the injustices.’
Robin Hood is available to stream on MGM Plus now.
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