Russell Crowe to play Robin Hood/Sheriff for Ridley Scott?

Russell Crowe is known for his overpowering screen presence, a trait his frequent collaborator Ridley Scott has used to his advantage by casting him in performance showcases (Gladiator) or with another actor who can hold his own (Denzel Washington in American Gangster). But for the pair’s fifth film together, the gestating Robin Hood fable Nottingham, rumors suggest the venerable English director has found a simpler corrective: cast Crowe in both the lead roles.

Well, maybe. The estimable actor-director team’s fourth film together, Body of Lies, is due for release next Friday, which led to an interview in which Scott tossed out what was probably intended as a fleeting aside on Nottingham, currently in rewrites with screenwriter Brian Helgeland. Crowe is attached to play Robin Hood, so the question was about who would play the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Scott seemed to suggest that Crowe would play both roles.

He didn’t elaborate (Read: that could mean anything.), which led to a rumor explosion fueled by the usual speculative items on blogs and culture wires. MTV had the novel idea to ask Crowe and Scott about it, but didn’t have much luck: Scott responded with an assault of generalities, and Crowe said he might not even be part of the project if it isn’t going to be “the best” in the long history of Hollywood variations on Robin Hood.

What does it all mean? Say it with us now, slowly: Wait. And. See. Since Robin Hood is one of the industry’s most reliable properties, our guess is that the movie will get made with or without its proposed star, but a split-personality version with Crowe could make for a special movie. Too bad we have no clue if that was ever the idea in the first place.

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