Wait a minute, who is really in CONTROL of the Robin Hood role?

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

We have some further developments on the Robin Hood casting story from Friday, AICN are debunking the rumor that Christian Bale has been offered the part. Also today, Latino Review are running the scoop of a more conventional casting choice for the film. Someone that actually looks like the image of Robin Hood you probably have in your head. They say Russell Crowe himself has pitched the idea to Universal and Ridley Scott for them to cast actor Sam Riley, who portrayed Ian Curtis in the much praised biopic of the Joy Division frontman titled Control. It appears Crowe was a big fan of the film and is basing the whole casting choice from that performance alone, which I guess we have to also as Riley hasn't been in much else.

The site claim this source is from a very trusted mole, who has given them some great scoops in the past, including the casting of Jake Gyllenhaal for the Prince of Persia adaptation. Certainly a more conventional casting choice and I do very much like the idea of a non-star for the part but this guy looks too innocent to me. He looks like someone who carries a great vulnerability on his shoulder and for the character to work can't possibly be likeable. If this movie is indeed based on a sympathetic Sheriff of Nottingham then we can't really have a enthuastic young good looking actor as Robin Hood can we? He needs to be an intense actor who can play ruthless and cunning. Someone with a massive ego and chip on his shoulder, and that cocky Tom Cruise like smile. Thoughts? Do you prefer Bale for the role also... or better yet the casting of someone else?