Russell Crowe's Historical Action Movie Flop Is Finding A New Audience On HBO Max

When Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe first got together to tell a historical epic tale, it was in the sword and sandal story of a father to a murdered son and a husband to a murdered wife in "Gladiator." A decade later, the two reunited to bring a British folklore legend to life with "Robin Hood," and unfortunately, the hero of Sherwood Forest didn't have quite the same reception. Missing the target massively with critics and audiences alike, the film earned a disappointing $321 million at the box office against a production budget of $237 million (via Variety).

Just like Robin Hood, though, this is all ancient history, as Crowe's crack at the legendary archer has found new life on HBO Max. According to FlixPatrol, the poorly-received medieval romp is now on the streamer's top 10. But what is it about Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood" that's hitting the mark after all these years?

Well, it could be that there are other Robins taking shots or lining them up this year, as well as the film being recommended by Crowe himself. Yes, it turns out that, even after all this time, the Oscar-winning star believes that "Robin Hood" didn't get a fair shake, and that an alternate cut of the film is far better than the one audiences were originally given.

This month, Russell Crowe took to X in response to @CinemaTweets1 praising the film that still managed to be caught in the shadow of "Gladiator," and seemingly hadn't shifted after a decade. The original post read, "Ridley Scott's 'Robin Hood' received a lot of unfair comparisons to 'Gladiator' that resulted in 'Robin Hood' not getting as much love as it probably deserved. This is a quality movie with an exceptional cast that runs deep. Russell Crowe is also really damn good here. Worth watching."

Crowe responded, defending the film. "The director's cut is the movie we all thought we were releasing. However, 17 minutes were cut for the cinema release. A minute is a long time onscreen. Imagine any of your favorite movies with 17 minutes of the most emotional connective tissue removed ... watch the director's cut."

Unfortunately, the director's cut isn't on HBO Max, but that doesn't mean the original film lacks merit. While critics had a lot to say about Crowe's English accent, which the actor has defended publicly, it didn't detract from the impressive set pieces Scott is known for or the supporting talent, including "Black Bag" star Cate Blanchett as Marian and a relatively unknown and yet-to-be "Moon Knight," Oscar Isaac as Prince John. Crowe's "Robin Hood" is an okay watch (and this is coming from a Nottingham-born writer), but we might be on course for new and better iterations as early as this year.

There's no doubt that the Prince of Thieves has been a tricky folklore legend to tackle, regardless of how often he's been revisited. Nevertheless, Hollywood is still keen to get Robin just right, and this year we've got two promising signs they've done that.

Last year, MGM+ (one of the streaming services that's actually worth it) delivered its own take on the character backed by Sean Bean and, coincidentally, Crowe's former "Gladiator" co-star, Connie Nielsen along with Jack Patten as Robin Hood. They must've done something right because now a second season has been given the green light (via Deadline), showing there's space for Robin on television.

As for the big screen, Hugh Jackman is the next star to take the role, only this time in the outlaw's twilight years. "The Death of Robin Hood" will be doing exactly what it says on the tin, with a heavily bearded Jackman giving a Logan-like take on Robin Hood under the direction of Michael Sarnoski. A recent trailer offers a dark but compelling take on the character, and suggests that the hero's origin stories are done and dusted, and that, instead, it's quite literally the hero's last shot that might be worth a look. You can see how Jackman handles the role and a bow when "The Death of Robin Hood" arrives in theaters on June 19, 2026.