“Shall I reveal a truth? The legends of Robin Hood are ubiquitous, yet they are built upon a foundation of deception.”
Whether your first encounter with the Prince of Thieves was a charming animated fox, the stoic Sean Connery, or the grittier BBC iteration from the mid-2000s, the core mythos has remained largely static: a chivalrous rogue plundering the wealthy to sustain the destitute. However, a new collaboration between A24 and visionary filmmaker Michael Sarnoski is poised to dismantle this romanticized facade.
Sarnoski—the creative force behind the poignant Pig and the tension-filled A Quiet Place: Day One—is steering The Death of Robin Hood into much darker territory. In this reimagining, the legendary archer is stripped of his heroism, revealed instead as a cold-blooded killer whose violent exploits were merely polished by folklore. Hugh Jackman steps into the role, trading his usual charisma for the visage of a fractured, cynical man burdened by the weight of a lifetime of brutality.
The teaser introduces an impressive ensemble, featuring Bill Skarsgård as Little John and Jodie Comer in a pivotal role. Notably, Sarnoski has confirmed that Comer’s character is not a contemporary Maid Marian; rather, she is a mysterious figure who discovers a mortally wounded Hood and offers a tenuous path toward redemption. Whether a man with such a blood-soaked history can truly embrace a new life remains the central, haunting question of the narrative.
This “Old Man Hood” archetype feels like a natural evolution for Jackman. He has previously excelled at portraying world-weary men haunted by their pasts—most notably as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and as the titular mutant in Logan. Much like those roles, this version of Robin Hood finds himself in a paternal position, protecting a young protégé from the very shadows he helped create. It is a niche Jackman has mastered, blending physical intensity with deep, soulful regret.
While the trailer pulses with visceral combat, Sarnoski insists the film transcends the standard action genre. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the director likened the project to a war film, emphasizing a sense of primal, unpolished realism. “Combat in that era wasn’t a choreographed dance of blades,” Sarnoski noted. “It was a desperate, muddy struggle for survival—people fighting with whatever tools were at hand to stay alive.”
The Death of Robin Hood is scheduled to arrive in cinemas in 2026.
Source: Polygon
