CANNES: Robin Hood Attacks Big Media

Russell Crowe has identified media corporations such as News Corp and Disney as the thing Robin Hood would be fighting today if he existed. Speaking at this afternoon’s press conference, the Robin Hood star said: “My feeling is that if he was alive today, he would be looking at the dissemination of media as the greatest injustice in the world.”
Crowe, who has a notoriously bad relationship with the press, went on to attack one journalist whom, he implied, stalked people. And he swatted another Times of London reporter for suggesting that Crowe and director Ridley Scott had made a politically correct fable.
The Australian star hinted there might be a sequel providing the movie passes an unspecified box office milestone.
It was producer Brian Grazer who first pitched the idea of rebooting Robin Hood when they were making American Gangster together, Crowe said. He wanted to do the project because he said the character’s motivation has never been properly explained until now. Ridley Scott was also keen to get away from what Mel Brooks sent up in Men In Tights. That’s why Richard the Lionheart is killed off in the first minute of the movie. “Whatever you think about Robin Hood has been a perfectly understandable mistake,” Crowe quipped.
Co-star Cate Blanchett arrived to face the photographers’ bear pit looking ravishing in a pink suit. Even Crowe did his best to humour the paparazzi, despite his drumming fingers betraying his impatience. Producer Brian Grazer accompanied both stars looking for all the world like Struwwelpeter.
Some journalists from smaller European countries asked predictably obscure questions. Nearly every question was directed to Crowe. “Russell, tell us about your leather outfit,” drooled one German reporter.