Robin Hood

Credit: Everett; David Appleby/Universal; Everett

Russell Crowe Picks on Robin Hoods of the Past

Originally posted 04/29/2010 06:10AM

Robin Hood may steal from the rich and give to the poor, but when it comes to his interpretation of the folk legend, Russell Crowe is barely giving an inch.

As the star and producer of May 12's Cannes Film Festival opening attraction Robin Hood, Crowe compared and contrasted his new version to previous screen incarnations of Sherwood Forest's favorite bandit.

"Past filmmakers and studios have 'supposed' things about Robin Hood," the Gladiator Oscar winner, 46, said Tuesday night on French TV's Canal Plus Le Grand Journal.

On the other hand, his take on Hood and his merry men – which costars Cate Blanchett and marks Crowe's fifth collaboration with director Ridley Scott – "depicts the origins, where he might actually have come from" instead of relying on the "usual clichés."

Perhaps hoping to right the wrongs of the past, Crowe even went so far as to suggest his Robin Hood will "recalibrate the story … taking a fresh look."