We’ve known all along that Russell Crowe would be playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in Ridley Scott‘s upcoming take on the Robin Hood story, Nottingham.
Many actors were rumored to be starring across from him in the iconic role of Robin Hood, including Christian Bale, but now comes word via MTV that Crowe himself will be pulling double duty and playing both roles.
The news came straight from director Ridley Scott:
He’s playing both! … [It will be] a good old clever adjustment of characters. One becomes the other. It changes.
At the moment, I highly dislike this news. Initially, the idea of such a classic story being done in such an exciting way by such exciting talent was, well, pretty freakin’ exciting! Now knowing the two most important characters in the tale will be the same face… it just doesn’t sit right. Of course, on the other hand, this is Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe. The chance of this being bad with those two names involved is highly, highly unlikely.
Indeed, this is some of the most unexpected casting news I’ve heard in a while. I fear that only when we get to see Nottingham will we know what Scott was aiming at with this approach and if it works or fails miserably.
