Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Short description
Kevin Reynolds directed this 1991 action adventure, the third film in his directing career following Fandango and The Beast of War. Kevin Costner stars as Robin of Locksley, an English nobleman who escapes captivity in Jerusalem with the help of Azeem, a Moorish prisoner played by Morgan Freeman. Returning to England, Robin finds his father dead and his family estate destroyed, and learns that the Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Alan Rickman, has taken control of the country through a campaign of oppression and heavy taxation. Robin joins forces with outlaws living in Sherwood Forest, among them Little John and Will Scarlett, played by Christian Slater. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio appears as Marian, and Geraldine McEwan plays Mortianna.
The screenplay was written by Pen Densham and John Watson, with Costner, Densham and Richard Barton Lewis producing. The film was a major commercial success: against a budget of 48 million dollars it earned about 390 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a release of this scale. Audience responses have been warmer than critical ones. On IMDb it holds 6.9 out of 10 from roughly 221,000 votes, and on TMDB it also stands at 6.9 out of 10, from a much smaller base of about 3,700 votes. A critics' rating of 5.6 out of 10 from 57 reviews places professional assessments noticeably below the audience scores.
Reynolds continued directing after this film, with later credits including Rapa Nui, Waterworld and The Count of Monte Cristo.
What's left behind the scenes
- Sean Connery, who played King Richard, received $250,000 for two days of filming. He donated this money to charity.
- The role of the Sheriff of Nottingham was initially offered to Richard E. Grant. Ultimately, however, it went to Alan Rickman.
- In the waterfall scene, where Robin Hood appears nude, Kevin Costner was replaced by a stunt double.
- The film's screenplay, written by Pen Densham and John Watson, was acquired for $1.2 million.
- The role of Marian was intended for Robin Wright, but she dropped out of the project due to pregnancy. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio received the role only four days before the start of filming.
- Sean Connery was initially offered a cameo role as Lord Locksley, but he declined it, as he felt he had played too many fathers in recent years.
- During the filming of the Celtic attack, the same stuntman portrayed the different people who were killed.
- In one British television show, Mel Gibson admitted that he was offered the lead role but turned it down because he had recently played Hamlet.
- The scene where Robin Hood gives the telescope to Azeem is similar to a scene in 'Dances with Wolves' (1990) where Dunbar (Costner) gives the telescope to Kicking Bird.
- Rumor has it that Kevin Costner wanted to speak with a British accent in the film, but director Kevin Reynolds did not allow it. Costner, however, claims that the accent had to be dropped because he couldn't imitate it well enough.
- Filming began on September 6, 1990, and ended in the winter of 1990-1991.
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