Margot Robbie’s Marian leads Robin Hood reimagining

Apparently, everyone’s been asking for another Robin Hood movie. Well, Hollywood has been listening! Because we’re getting exactly that: another Robin Hood movie.

But wait! This Robin Hood movie is nothing like all the others—promise! Because in this film, Robin Hood is as dead as a dodo. Meaning someone else has to pick up the mantle. No, it’s not Dingdong Dantes (God, no). It’s Maid Marian, the famous outlaw’s longtime love interest.

Playing Marian is Margot Robbie, whom we know from the Oscar-nominated “Wolf of Wall Street,” and the Oscar-winning “Suicide Squad,” where she played Harley Quinn.

According to Deadline, Sony Pictures outbid competitors for the project—a “Marian” spec scripted by virtual unknown Pete Barry.

In “Marian,” a conspiracy involving the conquest of England leaves Robin Hood dead. And he had to croak right in front of Marian, too. How inconsiderate! The tragedy compels Marian to pick up the outlaw’s cause, and become the leader in a war against the unjust and corrupt. As she rises to power and engages the enemy in bloody conflict, she assumes the mantle of her dead lover, and becomes just as legendary. Does this mean we get to call her Robbie Hood now?

This new take on the legend has been described as grim and gritty, along the lines of “Game of Thrones” meets “Braveheart.”

Producers Donald De Line and Amy Pascal will be helming the project. Producing the film alongside them are Margot Robbie’s LuckChap Entertainment, and Rock Shaink’s Romark Entertainment.

Every (progressive) person loves stories revolving around strong, capable heroines, so Marian as the movie’s central character is certainly a plus. But with so many other historical/legendary women (Boudicca, Artemisia, Zenobia, Tomoe Gozen, etc.) who have yet to be the leads in their own modern Hollywood movies, it’s baffling why any studio would want to return to Robin Hood. That dead horse has been beaten, cremated, and the ashes cast down into the mouth of a live volcano.

In fact, Hollywood seems to be in a Robin Hood frenzy. Sony may have “Marian,” but Lionsgate is developing “Robin Hood: Origins,” and it looks like we’re also going to be treated to a futuristic version of the folklore. Disney reportedly wanted to start a “Nottingham & Hood” franchise in the vein of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but the updates on this project have been extremely slim. And let’s not forget Ridley Scott’s dull-as-dirt “Robin Hood,” which was released in 2010 and stars Russell Crowe as the titular hero, and Cate Blanchett as Marion (a variant of “Marian”).

As for Robbie, she’s been extremely busy these days. At present, she is filming and producing the biopic “I, Tonya,” where she plays the figure skater Tonya Harding. She’s developing “Gotham City Sirens,” a movie that brings together various female villains from DC Comics, including her own Harley Quinn. She’s also involved in two projects based on classic children’s books: “Peter Rabbit,” and “Winnie the Pooh.”

Expect more “Marian” news in the upcoming months. — BM, GMA News