MGM+’s Robin Hood, the bold 10-part reboot premiering November 2, 2025, on Prime Video with MGM+ subscription, catapults the legendary outlaw into a gritty reimagining that’s got fans frothing as “bigger than Game of Thrones” – a Sherwood showdown of Saxon rebellion and Norman nobility where Sean Bean chews the scenery as the Sheriff of Nottingham, a “dark heart” despot whose iron fist crushes the greenwood with a vengeance that rivals Joffrey’s sneer.
Created by John Glenn (Eagle Eye, The Lazarus Project) and co-produced by Jonathan English, the series stars newcomer Jack Patten as Rob (Robin Hood), a Saxon forester’s son turned rebel ringleader, and Lauren McQueen as Marian, the Norman lord’s daughter whose forbidden flame with Rob ignites a powder keg of power plays. “It’s not your grandpa’s tights – it’s battles that bruise, betrayals that bite, and a love that defies dynasties,” Glenn tells Variety, with production wrapping in Serbia’s savage landscapes (March-August 2025) for a “cinematic” clash that fuses Braveheart‘s brawn with The Last Duel‘s intrigue. Connie Nielsen (Gladiator‘s Lucilla, Wonder Woman‘s queen) commands as Eleanor of Aquitaine, the “brilliant strategist” queen whose “multilayered” machinations manipulate the monarchy, her gravitas a grenade in the gender wars.
The saga’s savage spark? Seismic: Set post-1066 Norman Conquest, Episode 1’s “The Saxon Storm” thrusts Rob into the fray when his father’s farm falls to the Sheriff’s tax terror, Marian – daughter of a Norman lord – witnessing the whip-crack that whips her into rebellion. Patten’s Rob? A “raw recruit” rising from rags to rebel, his bow a banner of defiance; McQueen’s Marian? A “fierce focal point,” infiltrating the corrupt court with cunning that cuts like a dirk. Bean’s Sheriff? A “ruthless revelation,” his Nottingham a nest of nests – torture chambers, tavern tortures, a “power struggle” with King Richard’s absent throne that turns taxmen into tyrants. Nielsen’s Eleanor? A “force of nature,” her Aquitaine alliance a web of whispers and weddings that weave women into the war machine. Supporting swords slash: Steven Waddington’s Earl of Huntingdon as a haughty half-ally, Lydia Peckham’s Priscilla of Nottingham as a scheming siren, Marcus Fraser’s Friar Tuck as a tipsy tactician, Angus Castle-Doughty’s Little John as a lumbering legend, Henry Rowley’s Much as a merry minstrel.
The “boldest medieval drama”? Barbaric: Glenn’s script, a “reimagining” of the folklore fable, probes “justice and freedom” with battles that blister (arrow avalanches, axe ambushes), betrayals that bleed (Marian’s marriage ploy), and forbidden fire that flares (Rob’s rebel romance a “redefining” of the damsel). Directors English (pilot) and a rotating roster crank the chaos with crimson cloaks and castle crannies, a score that swells with swords and strings. Radio Times raves the “historical authenticity” with “high-stakes” heart, EW the “explosive” epic that “eclipses Braveheart’s brawn.” Socials seethe: #RobinHoodMGM racks 2.8 million posts – “Bean’s best baddie since Boromir!” vs. “Patten’s Pacino potential!”
This isn’t legend lite; it’s a lore laceration, Robin Hood‘s reboot a reminder that outlaws outwit empires. The Sheriff’s shadow? Sinister. Eleanor’s empire? Enthralling. November 2? Not a premiere – a power play. Binge it; the battles bruise, the betrayals blister. Bean’s bite? Barbaric. Nielsen’s nuance? Noble. The obsession? Overnight, unquenchable.
