HE LIKES TO BE SURROUNDED BY GOOD TALENT, WELL MISS MILLER IS NOT THAT GOOD TALENT AND WITH ALL HER BAD PRESS AT THE MOMENT THE FILM MIGHT BE BETTER WITHOUT HER, I HONESTLY THINK THEY COULD FIND A BETTER ACTRESS. WHAT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND IS THAT SHE WAS SO KEEN TO DO THE MOVIE, WHY BALE OUT JUST BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE SCHEDULED A BIT LATER.

Russell is difficult, but there's no way he would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs (Ridley Scott).
I can see hiim & Sienna not getting along and her being fired over it.
As for the weight-loss issue, I believe he can lose the weight if Ridley told him to do it.

I'm with you Colin, I'm not buying most of this nonsense.

Eureka - some common sense at last about this ridiculous travesty of "reporting" from "anonymous insiders".
As for Crowe's weight, have all the rumour mongers forgotten The Insider ?
Ridley Scott himself said in an interview back in October that Crowe was losing weight quite satisfactorily.
Crowe may be difficult, but strangely enough almost every director who has worked with him has said it was worth it. His roles speak for themselves.
The man is one of the very best actors in the world just now. He'll do what he has to do for a role.

These stories make me laugh. I quite agree with comments about Ms Miller who is a lightwieght compared to Crowe's heavyweight (pardon the pun).

Crowe is without doubt one of the best actors of his generation which is exactly why he is difficult because of the standards he demands. There are very few in the movie business that Crowe would bow to, but Ridley Scott is definitely one of them. His pedigree as an accomplished director is unquestionable. Regardless of troubles, the film is sure to be a hit when compared to Prince of Thieves, where Alan Rickman single handedly saved the film with a jaw-droppingly brilliant pantomine villain performance against the woefully inadequate Kevin Costner. Bring it on !

Yes Mr. Boyd, I have not long ago learned to use a computer, which is nothing to sneer at, also have a new computer one which is a little different, and I stick to my point, that Russell Crowe is a very good actor and Miss Miller is not, but that is only my opinion, and whatever reason I personally think the movie is going to be great with Russell Crowe whoever plays the female role does not matter.

If Sienna Miller really dropped out of the project then I'd be very happy to replace her. I'd gain weight, lose weight - whatever they want me to do.

As long as I can play next to the incredibly talented and versatile Mr. Crowe.

So Sir Ridley, give me a call!

:-)

Thank you, Colin Boyd! You rock, dude. This is what we need more of and less tabshit lazy-asses pretending they speak for everyone.

I hope you'll continue to dispell stupid rumours like this and many others. ^_^

Yeah!!! Such good news SM is out! Never understood that pick - seriously, there are some very talented actresses out there.

Find an actress with spirit and fire to play against/with RC's fire. Laura Prepon - Ann Hathaway - Julia Stiles - Danika McKellar - Emilie de Ravin - He's a strong man who needs a strong woman, not soppy fluff with the wind blowing between her ears.

He'd have paired well with Jane Russell, Maureen O'Hara but that was another era.

Russell/Ridley - think, you can do so much better than SM!!!

BTW Russell may never get down to his "Romper Stomper" cut physic but I doubt Brad Pitt will ever look like he did in "Thelma & Louise" either. Clooney gained and lost the weight for his roles. Pre-pro is moot for his "look" which is probably still being developed. Russell has a brain - so he "talks or talks back" to his directors. No man is an island. Obama wants to keep his Blackberry so he can have contact with others outside of the Washington/White House machine - which is good cause we all know how broken that is - I've digressed.

Can Danielle read for the part?

oh, yeah: What of Emma Thompson!

Smart - whitty - humorous; does Marion have to be young, can she be older; the relationship already established?!

Rene Russo

Russell/Ridley - find someone who can portray strength to play off Robin/Nottinghams wit and strength and drive; champion his cause with/for him.

Think outside the box boys!!!! Challenge the audience, don't placate!

Where do I sign up to help with casting?!

evan rachel wood

Colin, kudos to you. Thank you for one of the most intelligent columns on Mr. Crowe that I've read in quite a while. I'm sick of the garbage that passes for journalism. The lack of fact checking and just plain common sense is appalling. The stories reflect badly on their authors more than their subjects.

mickey, Emma Thompson and Rene Russo are favorites of mine too. Excellent choices!

Perhaps Ridley, should take advantage of Russell's different extremes and film the Sheriff scenes while Russell is still a little heavy and then do Robin after Crowe loses more weight. Also, I think the Sheriff would have looked cool with long locks..
Russell Crowe always seems to change his appearance for every movie. I'm always kinda shocked by it but In the end (he's so good) I accept him and his new image. Lol.....I got use to plump Russell and his hair..I think I'm going to miss that guy. He seemed so Kingly.

Who said wha? The attributions in this story are either missing or vague and the reasoning is so illogical that you have to assume Murdoch is pissed at Crowe about something. None of these tab-load editors are acting independently.

I hope Russell does put major input into the script. Sometimes I think Ridley needs help with that. Body of Lies script was absolutely garbage. I feel sorry for Russell putting all that weight on for a dodgy film.

I do really appreciate the above smart answers. When being aware of Russell Crowe's prominent talent and the deep and strong professional links between him and Sir Ridley Scott, you can't subscribe to so light reasons for all the alterations brought to the Nottingham project. All the best for both of them.

I read an interview with Ridley Scott a couple of months ago that clearly hinted at Miller not being a fim casting. He said....in so many words....that he didn't want to confirm who was playing Marion just yet. So it seemed there were doubts already. Possibly scheduling ones.
I never really felt Miller was a goood fit for the part and would have loved Winslet or someone who could actually act.
My other misgivings are are not about Crowe in the role but about how the British press, who clearly like to demonise him, will continue to misrepresent and saboitage the whole thing in the name of a good story.

Well, the loss of Sienna Miller is neither here nor there.

There seems to be more than one rumour that Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott have fallen out with each other over Nottingham.

Apparently, the arguments have ranged weight loss demands, via time keeping issues to differences over the script. Crowe is also said to be unhappy with how Body of Lies turned out.

Ridley Scott is one of my heroes of film making but I feel that he has lost some of his edge recently. His last three films, following Kingdom of Heaven, have been rather unremarkable. Perhaps a septuagenarian, as Ridley now is, should be more conservative with his time and energy?

Russel Crowe has a powerful screen presence that is almost unique in modern film. This is not to say that he is a genius as an actor. If he is trying to commandeer the whole production of Nottingham, then I feel it will be better off without him.

Ridley Scott is a genius at historical movies and most of his really good films have not featured Russel Crowe.

For the Maid Marion role: Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, etc. - NO light weights please!

Weight wise - RC is dropping the weight and no, he will probably not look like he did in Cinderella Man (wouldn't that be really nice). That said, he is a stickler, it seems, to getting the character down in every detail, which, if that means exercising to get a wash-board stomach again, I'm sure RC will do it, and my, won't he look good!

Director - does anyone really think RC wants to ditch Ridley? Come on!

Nonetheless, the movie will be really fun once Maid Marion is cast right; until then....we can only wait....

So pleased to see SM out of the picture, she was totally miscast, would offer someone who would be perfect; Charlize Theron, she can act. Seems these rumours have come from the SM camp and its just muck raking.
Ridley since KOH.... A Good Year is a great feelgood picture, and not a bad film at all. AG should have been Oscar nominated. BOL is better than the critics would make you believe. Look at the dross thats made huge box office, good grief.
Hoping Nottingham follows on from KOH as its set just as KOH ends and the directors cut is as good an epic ever made. Ridley's strength is these worlds whether period or future so hope is high.
Very excited by the Forever War to come.

Whole story is another vicious fiction spewed from the "N. Y. Post" bottomless venom gland. Miller's reps say she has 2 other films to do. Latest pics from OZ show Crowe has lost the weight, and busy with family, hair cut off and given for cancer-victim wigs. Alternate spew says Sienna was "too skinny," "not pretty enough," and too "sick" from breakup with Balthazar Getty.
Since filming hasn't even started, i agree -- this garbage doesn't pass the logic test, and stinks of Rupert Murdoch's hatred of Crowe.

Thank you, Mister Boyd.

Just watched Gladiator last night and was reminded again of the shortsightedness of ever counting down and out a person of superlative talent such as Russell Crowe. Mr. Crowe is a master of his craft. Like Richard Burton, whom he reminds me of, Crowe is a vast, raw, talent; as compelling as a force of nature. If Sienna's camp thinks she can spin this story to her own advantage they should think again, as their motives are transparent. All questions of talent aside, Sienna is losing jobs because her self-centeredness and arrogance cause TROUBLE for herself and others, and people know that now.

Why she got fired? My bet is on Mrs. Crowe.

It's a bit hard to believe Mr. Crowe would want to dump his friend Sir Ridley. They are both so professional. I assume Miller's publicist has spread scurrilous rumors. How Miller got the part to begin with is more than amazing! She is a second-rate actress and with her constantly appalling press was hardly the best choice to play the revered Maid Marion. Apparently the production companies didn't realize how very bad her reputation was when they hired her! I think they waited for her contract to run out and let her go due to her sickening, self indulgent press coverage. Now they can hire a real actress and a more civilized person!

Thank you for such a sensible article.