Robin Hood Gets a Heist: McKenzie, Cole and Starr Lead 'The Lie of Sherwood Forest'

By Daniel Okafor

Thomasin McKenzie, Finn Cole and Antony Starr will lead "The Lie of Sherwood Forest," a Robin Hood retelling that starts production on Nov. 9 and launches at the upcoming AFM (the American Film Market, Hollywood's annual film-rights bazaar). Logical Pictures International and Protagonist Pictures are handling sales.

Germany's augenschein produces. Patrick Vollrath, whose credits include the cockpit thriller "7500" and "Subversion," directs from a screenplay by Harris Kauffman, based on a story by Joachim Hedén and Vollrath.

McKenzie ("The Testament of Ann Lee"), Cole ("Peaky Blinders," "Last Breath") and Starr ("The Boys," "The Covenant") head the cast. Smylie Bradwell ("Faith," "Hamnet"), Brian Vernel ("The Odyssey," "Slow Horses") and Richard Durden ("Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker") round it out.

What's the twist on the legend?

The premise is straightforward enough to fit on a poster. Robin Hood and his companions are deceived by a young woman into rescuing her captured brother. The operation spirals into a perilous heist. Loyalties fracture, hidden motives surface, and the outlaws confront the cost of challenging those in power.

The synopsis puts it more grandly: "But what begins as one desperate lie will inadvertently change the course of the legend forever."

Producers promise the familiar folklore transformed into a "grounded, hard-hitting fight for survival, loyalty and justice, bringing a contemporary edge to one of storytelling's most enduring figures."

What are the backers saying?

Dave Bishop, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, went big on the pitch: "'The Lie of Sherwood Forest' is a radical new take of one of the world's most enduring legends, reinvented as a bold, visceral and relentlessly propulsive film."

Bishop added that Vollrath "will deliver an electrifying cinematic vision to a story that turns mythology on its head, combining gripping set pieces with genuine moral complexity."

Andrei Kamarowsky, head of international at Logical Pictures Group, focused on the mechanics: "What immediately drew us to 'The Lie of Sherwood Forest' was the ingenuity and novelty of its premise: one young woman's desperate deception sets Robin Hood and his outlaws on a dangerous journey that will ultimately reshape the myth."

Kamarowsky said the film "remains true to the spirit of the original folklore while bringing a fresh perspective, real emotional stakes, and unrelenting tension." Sales vocabulary does its usual work here.

Who's financing, and why Vollrath again?

Augenschein's Maximilian Leo, Jonas Katzenstein and Daniel Sonnabend produce, in co-production with ZDF. Funding comes from Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), the German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Films, the European Investment Fund and Creative Europe Media.

Augenschein and Logical Pictures Group finance the film, with Logical Pictures International co-repping sales alongside Protagonist. Protagonist's Bishop, George Hamilton and James Pugh executive produce, as do Frédéric Fiore, Ryan Wickers and Kamarowsky for Logical.

The director is a repeat collaborator. "Our collaboration with Patrick on 7500 was a defining moment for augenschein, and we've been excited to find the right opportunity to work together again," said Katzenstein. "Having developed the idea with Patrick, we're thrilled to partner once more on this action thriller."

Partner Leo framed the lineage directly: "The film builds on the edge-of-your-seat tension and visceral, grounded action that defined 7500, taking those elements to an exciting new level within the world of Robin Hood."

On the representation side, McKenzie is with Untitled and CAA; Cole with UTA, Independent Talent Group, Sloane and Viewpoint PR; Starr with UTA, Auckland Actors, Impression Entertainment and Kovert Creative.

With cameras rolling Nov. 9 and two sales agents already attached, AFM buyers will judge quickly whether one desperate lie can carry a legend's weight.