Movies

'Robin Hood' Is Classic, But Is It Worth At Least 8 Film Adaptations?

Hollywood reboot culture has really latched on to this timeless tale.

'Robin Hood' Is Classic, But Is It Worth At Least 8 Film Adaptations?
Lionsgate / "Robin Hood"
SMS

"Robin Hood": the timeless tale of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Lionsgate is coming out with a gritty reimagining of the character, but it might have to compete with some very similar projects.  

We're not talking about other gritty action films on the market. We're talking about at least seven other Robin Hood film adaptations in development right now.

We hope you like men in tights.

What's Driving Unoriginal Content In Film And TV Shows?
What's Driving Unoriginal Content In Film And TV Shows?

What's Driving Unoriginal Content In Film And TV Shows?

Stuck in a loop: reboots, remakes and nostalgia television have always been part of filmmaking history.

LEARN MORE

The adaptations include a futuristic Robin Hood set in dystopian London, a low-budget "pop-punk" Robin Hood, Sony Pictures' Robin Hood from the perspective of Maid Marian, Sony Pictures' "Mission: Impossible"-esque Robin Hood, Disney's "Nottingham & Hood,"  DreamWorks' "Merry Men," and an untitled project from Warner Bros.

It's worth repeating that these projects are in development, which means they're subject to change or even cancellation. Still, eight projects is plenty — and some of them have already cost studios a lot of time and money.

So what's driving this Robin Hood trend? We can't say for sure, but industry followers have three big ideas: Robin Hood is a familiar name that's made money before; the source material is so old it's in the public domain; and the projects could branch out into action franchises similar to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

These Countries Have Their Own 'Robin Hood Army' To Feed The Poor
These Countries Have Their Own 'Robin Hood Army' To Feed The Poor

These Countries Have Their Own 'Robin Hood Army' To Feed The Poor

The group has fed more than a million people in India and Pakistan.

LEARN MORE

I mean, if it works for Spider-Man and Batman — neither of which are in the public domain — maybe it could work for Robin Hood, too. The last notable adaptation came out in 2010, making more than $320 million worldwide. 

So far, Lionsgate's version is the only definite adaptation on the market right now. It's set to come out this year on Nov. 21.