Ridley Scott's 'Robin Hood' Set for May 14, 2010

Earlier today, I was talking to a colleague in the movie exhibition game about what a great month May 2009 looks like, commercially speaking. Needless to say, the theater owner was over the moon about Wolverine, Star Trek, Night at the Museum, Terminator, Angels & Demons, and Up, all coming out within five weeks. And now it looks like next May will be one of those great summer months, too. We already know that Iron Man 2 will christen summer 2010, but it'll be joined by Prince of Persia and Shrek Goes Fourth. Maybe that's not as good as this May, but we still have several months to flesh those weekends out a little bit. And one more name was just added to the calendar. Coming Soon reports that Robin Hood aka Nottingham has planted a flag in May 14th. Russell Crowe is Robin Hood for director Ridley Scott, and he was at one point being hyped as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. That's not the case moving forward, but the addition of Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian is definitely a perk. Russell Crowe is not really a summer movie kind of movie star. In fact, since L.A. Confidential, the movie that got Crowe recognized by a wide audience, he's only had two movies open in summer: Gladiator and Cinderella Man. One was a hit, one wasn't. Overall, of course, Crowe is on a bit of a downward slide at the box office. American Gangster was his first successful film since A Beautiful Mind, and there have been plenty of expensive flops since. What are the odds that Robin Hood bucks that trend? That's what remains to be seen. Unlike Iron Man 2, I don't think seeing a Russell Crowe movie on the docket will scare off another studio, so I doubt this one will hit the ground unopposed.