Hugh Jackman has undergone a striking transformation for A24's upcoming film, "The Death of Robin Hood," a departure from the traditional heroic portrayal of the legendary outlaw. The movie, set to arrive in UK cinemas on September 2, reimagines the folklore character in his later years as a "bloodthirsty vigilante."
Directed by Michael Sarnoski, the film features a gravely wounded Robin Hood who is rescued by a nun, played by Jodie Comer, and a group of orphans. In his final years, the character grapples with his past sins. The new images reveal Jackman with a long grey wig and a prosthetic beard, set against grimly lit scenes filmed in Northern Ireland.
Jackman described the challenges of his new look, particularly during intense battle sequences. "I had to have a fake beard. And in that scene in the mud, there were a couple of takes where I put my head up. The beard's gone, 'Oh, somewhere in there,'" he recalled, noting that gaffer tape was eventually used to keep the beard in place. "By the end, it was, literally, like, gaffer tape just underneath and you couldn't see anything, it was completely just muddy, just trying to keep this thing on. And there was one bit attached."
The distinctive look was conceived by Jackman's longtime hair and makeup team, Sean Flanagan and Pamela Westmore, during the filming of another project. "We've come up with what we think could be a cool look," they reportedly told Jackman. He immediately shared the concept with Sarnoski, who approved it.
Sarnoski acknowledged that "The Death of Robin Hood" is intended to be a "challenging" experience for viewers, aiming to offer something different from conventional interpretations. "I knew this would be challenging for people but I think if we only give people the versions of characters that they're used to, we're just not going to grow very much," he told The Times.
The director emphasized the importance of portraying the character's brutality to convey a clear message. "Because when people watch, they are so used to assuming that Robin was a hero and a good guy. I think we had to go really far with it to let the audience know, hey, we're not kidding around here," Sarnoski explained. "We're saying, 'This is a brutal guy. This isn't a misunderstood hero who has just had a hard lot in life.'"
Sarnoski does not view his interpretation as outlandish, stating, "I think in a lot of ways, like, this isn't some crazy interpretation of Robin. It's just like, OK, what if some of these violent things actually happened? What if he handled that like a lot of humans do, which is that he is haunted in some ways?"
The film is expected to delve into a bleak and bloody first hour to establish the character's nature. The director aims to provide a portrayal that is as historically grounded as possible, given the legendary status of the character.
