MOVIE NEWS – Russell Crowe argues that “17 minutes” were cut in a way that derailed Ridley Scott’s expensive film. Without being prompted, the Gladiator star took to social media to lay out why his version of Robin Hood never truly landed.

When people talk about director’s cuts, they often think of Zack Snyder and the fan campaign that pushed for his version of Justice League. But he is hardly the only filmmaker to see a project reshaped by the editing room. Even giants like Ridley Scott have faced the dreaded scissors, sometimes with results that left audiences divided. Crowe now says that is exactly what happened with Scott’s Robin Hood (2010) – and, in his view, it happened despite the fact that the theatrical trim was not massive.

Many treated the movie as a kind of spiritual follow-up to Gladiator, given Crowe’s reunion with the British director. It opened in 2010 and made roughly $322 million worldwide – a respectable haul, but not enough to comfortably justify a budget hovering near $200 million, which left it in an awkward middle ground. Reviews were similarly muted: the film sits around 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics often calling it too bleak and overly dour.

“Those minutes give the film another layer of clarity, humor, and emotional depth.”

Some viewers also pointed to the runtime – 140 minutes including credits – but Crowe insists that is not the real issue. His argument is the opposite: the theatrical cut removed 17 minutes that mattered. “The director’s cut is the movie we all thought we were seeing. However, 17 minutes were cut for its theatrical release. One minute is a lot of screen time. Imagine any of your favorite films if 17 minutes of their deepest emotional material were taken away…” he wrote, urging people toward the extended edition. He has made the point before, too, adding that those missing scenes “give the film another layer of clarity, humor, and emotional depth.”

The Man of Steel actor – who has also been linked to the upcoming Highlander reboot – revisited the subject on X a few days ago and explained that the film was originally meant as the beginning of a larger plan: “That was the idea. That it would be told in three parts. When I started to delve into Robin Hood, I found the story and its roots in the mythology of the ‘Green Man’ to be deeply interesting. The legend of Robin lasted for hundreds of years, how?”

The question is whether the Director’s Cut of Robin Hood is genuinely much better than the theatrical version. I have serious doubts. It may simply magnify the same weaknesses critics already identified, while giving fans of the film more to enjoy. Either way, if you are looking to stream it right now, the easiest option remains the theatrical cut on SkyShowtime. The extended version is not generally available on streaming services, though it can be purchased.

What’s Next For Robin Hood On Screen?

As it happens, an all-new series based on the legendary outlaw premiered on MGM+ a few months ago. I have not caught up yet, but it is doing reasonably well on platforms like IMDb and it has a strong cast. And later this year, Hugh Jackman is set to star in The Death of Robin Hood.

Source: 3DJuegos