What makes the legend of Robin Hood so enduring?
Mark Strong: I think the romantic notion of somebody who takes from the rich and gives to the poor is universal. The anti-establishment, rebellious figure… I think people also love the notion of an outsider, or an underdog – especially if you’re English. Q. Were you surprised when you first read the script that Sir Ridley Scott had chosen to tell the making of the legend, rather than the legend itself? This film ends where most films about Robin Hood begin. Mark Strong: Yeah, well originally when I saw the first script, while we were shooting Body of Lies in Morocco, it was an identity swap story. Fascinatingly, Robin Longstride – Robin Hood – was going to get the opportunity to step into the shoes of the Sheriff of Nottingham, which is why it was originally called Nottingham, and see things from the other point of view. Now, an element of that still exists in the story at the moment, because he takes on the persona of someone who has been killed. But to subsequently realise that the h
