Hollywood reveals that yet another Robin Hood romp is on the cards

Earlier this year, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg revealed plans to bring Sherwood Forest back to the big screen with Merry Men - a reworking of the traditional tale.

While things may have gone quiet from the Dreamworks camp, Sony this week announced its own interpretation of the popular tale, after forking out a seven-figure sum for Hood.

But unlike Kevin Costner’s Americanised Robin, or Russell Crowe’s more earthy interpretation, this new version could see the Hooded Man step truly out of his traditional hunting ground.

Pitched by two up-and-coming Hollywood screenwriters, Hood is described as a “re-telling of the Robin Hood tale that would kick-off an Avengers- like universe” - with Robin stepping up to superhero status.

It is not the first time that Robin Hood has been given the science fiction treatment, after he appeared in this year’s Doctor Who episode Robots of Sherwood.

And while details of the new interpretation are still sketchy, the move has been welcomed by council leaders.

County council culture committee chairman John Knight said: “Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest have an international profile and anything promoting the legend can only provide a further boost for Nottinghamshire.

“Robin Hood’s story is known throughout the world and we attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from home and abroad each year.”

Gladiator star Russell Crowe failed to impress with his version of Robin Hood back in 2010 after the film’s gritty interpretation and Crowe’s ‘travelling’ accent got a panning from the critics.

Kevin Costner played the legendary hero with a full-on American ‘twang’, and although the film was a box office hit, the Dances with Wolves actor was thoroughly outclassed by Alan Rickman’s dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham.

From the 1980s, the tale was given the small screen treatment, with Michael Praed, Jason Connery and Jonas Armstrong all playing Robin, while Tom Riley turned up as the ‘hooded one’ in Doctor Who.

Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks and Sean Connery have all also played him on the big screen.

Tight fit: Hollywood actor Russell Crowe (pictured) playing Robin Hood in the widely panned Ridley Scott movie of 2010.