This isn’t brand-new news by any means, but it’s a slow day, and we’re feeling gentlemanly after watching today’s “Robin Hood” featurette, and felt like righting a wrong.
When the Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott project, then called “Nottingham,” was delayed at the start of 2009, leading to Sienna Miller leaving the project, some fairly scurrilous gossip started making the rounds.
At the time, the New York Post, who first reported Miller’s departure, claimed that Crowe was being a diva on the project, failing to lose the weight he put on for “Body of Lies” (actually, the site claimed it was for “Body of Evidence,” but we don’t remember Crowe being in that, and it was 15 years ago…) insisting on replacing Miller with “an older, plumper actress” so he wouldn’t look ridiculous in their love scenes. Cate Blanchett eventually took over the role — we wouldn’t exactly call her ‘plump,’ so the rumors always seemed dubious at the least, but Scott talked to Empire in the latest issue of their print magazine (not online), and talked the real reasons for the switcheroo.
He told them, “Sienna is a doll, but first of all there’s a big age gap and we thought, ‘Maybe she’s a bit young for it.’ She’s a terrific actress, but we don’t want to feel like Robin’s marrying his daughter, and I’m sure Russell will forgive me for saying that. Cate and Russell were far more suitable, and she’s lovely to work with. A real pro.” So, as it turns out, the Post weren’t barking entirely up the wrong tree, but, as usual with the tabloid press, they took reasonable concerns that the filmmakers had, and put them in the most unpleasant language they possibly could.
The Post also reported rumors of battles between Scott and Crowe, and even that the star was trying to get his long-time collaborator fired. Again, Scott doesn’t deny that the two sometimes argue, but suggests that the rumors were way overblown. The article says “A little creative tension has always been their way. [Scott said] “I think so. Russell said to me “Isn’t this our way?” I said, “I guess it is, but you know it can be a lot easier.” But it is the way. You know, with Russell you had better be prepared… And therefore he’s a hard partner in crime, except that we’ve done it five times now and it works.”
Crowe, who’s a producer on the film, also tells the magazine “Maybe the studio thought I would help them wrangle Ridley. And if they did, that was a bad call. Because I’m here for him. Ultimately, I’m very appreciative of the fact that they’re paying for everything — thanks very much, boys — but my payment back to them is to work my guts out on a daily basis. But I work for Ridley Scott. He’s the director and film is a director’s medium.” A certain amount of disagreement is healthy in any creative relationship, and it sounds like the two realize that; they’re not exactly Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, clearly. The relationship’s had mixed results in the past (“Gladiator” and “American Gangster” were good, “A Good Year” and “Body of Lies” not so much), but we’ll see how “Robin Hood” turns out when it opens in May. As ever, pick up the latest issue of Empire for more on the film.
