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With Robin Hood opening in theaters this week, I recently sat down with director Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders) to talk about the retelling of the classic story. During the interview, he talked about how this film is different from any previous version of Robin Hood, how he got involved in the project, how this version isn’t meant to be a history lesson, deleted scenes, what he learned from early screenings, and a lot more. In addition, with Bathurst currently working on the BBC/HBO adaptation of Philip Pullman‘s His Dark Materials, he revealed why he was excited to get involved in the project and how they are spending eight hours telling the story of the first book.

Check out what he had to say in the player above and look for more interviews soon. Robin Hood stars Taron Egerton as Robin Hood, Jamie Foxx as Little John, Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlett, Eve Hewson as Maid Marian, and Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Otto Bathurst:

How long was he trying to make his big budget directorial debut?

How did he get involved in the film?

How this is not a version of the Robin Hood story you’ve seen before.

Nottingham is a massive city and unlike anything you’ve seen before.

How this version isn’t meant to be a history lesson.

What did he learn from early screenings that impacted the finished film?

Did he have a lot of deleted scenes?

Why he wanted to film to be 100 minutes or under.

Talks about His Dark Materials and says they are spending 8 hours just telling the story of the first book. The second season would be the second book.

What was it about His Dark Materials that made him excited to be part of the project?

Here’s the official synopsis for Robin Hood:

Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton) a war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander (Jamie Foxx) mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance.

For more on Robin Hood: