Vanessa Redgrave reigns over Nottingham

Ridley Scott became the 62nd recipient of a BFI Fellowship on Saturday night, just as Universal released the latest casting updates for the newly re-written Robin Hood (formerly Nottingham)

Russell Crowe… Robin Hood
Cate Blanchett… Lady Marion
Vanessa Redgrave… Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
Oscar Isaac… King John
Mark Strong… King John‚Äôs henchman, Sir Godfrey
L√©a Seydoux… French Princess Isabella
Scott Grimes… Will Scarlet
Kevin Durand… Little John
Alan Doyle… troubadour, Allan Adayle.

The new synopsis, after re-writes by Brian Helgeland:

The untitled Robin Hood adventure chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French. Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion, a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

So, in short, the same Robin Hood story we already seen a half dozen times (?) More interesting to me is Ridley Scott’s next project, a vintage 1930’s Hollywood Noir called The Kind One, starring Casey Affleck. Details after the cut.

From the Publisher:

In 1930’s Los Angeles, someone desperately wants to know who Danny Landon is. That someone is Danny Landon himself. All the young man really knows about himself is that some terrible incident has erased his memory. Danny’s boss is a mobster named Bud Seitz ‚Äî a vicious, sadistic killer who’s been given the ironic nickname of “The Kind One.” According to Seitz, Danny’s amnesia is the result of being hit in the head with a lead pipe. But Danny’s not sure of anything. How can he be a gangster when he doesn’t feel like one? It’s not easy being the right-hand man to a big criminal, and it gets harder when Danny’s ordered to keep an eye on Bud’s lovely young girlfriend, Darla. Danny can’t help but fall in love with her.

To make matters worse, Danny’s life at his bungalow-court apartment is no picnic as he’s constantly having to rescue his 11-year-old neighbor Sophie from an abusive home life. It seems that only the kindly Dulwich, a lonely neighbor with his own mysterious history, can bring Danny any peace, offering him tea and sympathy at the end of a hard day. As Danny maneuvers through the corrupt, sun-drenched city, he uncovers terrible secrets and finds himself on a mission to liberate those he cares about.

Reviews:

“Tense, emotional, and unforgiving…. A beautifully written take on the dark Hollywood of the ’30s — a perfect noir novel that is pure and original, with a heavy heart that beats through each page.” — Robert Crais

“On every page, the language is crisp and fresh, the details sharp and keenly observed, the dialogue real, never forced.” — Los Angeles Times

“Epperson manages to throw in an occasional turn of phrase that Raymond Chandler might have penned….An impressive debut.” — Publishers Weekly

“What’s memorable about Epperson’s take on the ’30s is its balance of brutality and optimism. He portrays Los Angeles as the last outpost of the Wild West…but he’s even more adept at portraying the eternal hopefulness of a more innocent America.” — San Francisco Chronicle