Taron Egerton Says 'Robin Hood' Is Dark & Gritty, Obviously

Half of succeeding in Hollywood seems to be telling executives what they want to hear. If you want to keep your job on the studio lot, you’d be best served by digging up some IP they own and pitching a reboot. Even better, if you toss in the words “dark” and “gritty,” you might even get your own reserved parking space. And while the source material for “Robin Hood” is in the public domain, whoever dreamed up turning it into a serious reimagining probably was able to pay for some steak dinners.

Taron Egerton, star of the ‘Kingsman‘ franchise, is hoping he has another big property on his hands with “Robin Hood” when it opens next year. Yep, the character who steals from the rich and gives to the poor is back, and of course, it’s going to be Very Serious.

READ MORE: ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Is Fast Fading Fun [Review]

“My Robin Hood, as with Kevin Costner‘s, he’s a soldier. We find him out in Syria. I don’t think that’s too much to say. He’s flawed, my Robin Hood. He’s a little self-involved and a little self-serving but over the course of the film becomes the hero of the legend. I suspect I’m probably one of the younger Robin Hoods but it’s very dark. Gritty. I’m hoping that it will be very funny,” he told ComicBook. “Jamie Foxx is Little John. Ben Mendelsohn is the Sheriff of Nottingham. Tim Minchin is Friar Tuck. We’ve got some people with real, not only incredible acting skills, but also great comic chops, as well. It should have a bit of everything.

So, dark, gritty, and funny? Alright, then. To be honest Egerton’s Robin Hood sounds lot like his Eggsy, but maybe that’s his #brand now.

We’ll find out when “Robin Hood” opens on September 21, 2018.