When shooting a movie as action packed as director Otto Bathurst's Robin Hood remake, things can get pretty tough. Stunts need to be properly set up and executed, with dialogue-heavy scenes needing to also be slotted into the mix. But the biggest challenge when it came to this new spin on Sherwood Forest wasn't either of those factors.
It anything, it was the fact that the film's lead actor, Taron Egerton, had just come from a pretty demanding round of such activity just before starting Robin Hood, thanks to his participation in another action-heavy franchise. Jamie Foxx knew this first hand, as he told CinemaBlend the following story:
He came from a tough, long shoot from the Kingsman [sequel], and he comes in to another tough long shoot. He had to take a moment, and we had to rally around him. I was like, 'Hey, you know what? Take your time. Whatever you've got to do, we're here for you.' Because we know. A lot of times, people take for granted our business, but he had a lot on his shoulders. To see him work through it, to see him push through, he had an injury, it really spoke to his character as a young guy.
It almost looked like Robin Hood would have to go with a different lead actor at one point, as both it and Kingsman: The Golden Circle had similarly booked shooting schedules. But, as it turned out, the respective studios behind those films worked out a deal that was beneficial to both. This allowed Taron Egerton to not only reprise his role as Eggsy in the Kingsman follow-up, but it also meant he could continue along the path to become the next Robin of Locksley.
Naturally, going from a demanding shoot like Kingsman: The Golden Circle into a production as hardcore as Robin Hood is going to be a bit of a stretch. In particular, with Egerton suffering some repetitive strain injuries on that first film, and getting thrown off of a horse on the second, everything was far from average making these two films back to back.
This is where having a supportive cast comes in handy. Because, if your lead performer isn't feeling up to the job, the entire picture can go south fast. Not only does this new Robin Hood have an ensemble flavor to it, but it can be seen in the interactions between Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx that they got along pretty well as co-stars. So that empathy's not only coming from a professional place, but also a personal one.
You can see Jamie Foxx speaking to this fact, in the video from our interview with him and Taron Egerton below:
In the end, Robin Hood looked to be a demanding shoot for all, but worth the time and endurance spent on its final product. Ready to introduce the Kingsman generation to a new Robin of Locksley, the film is now out in theaters, firing those classic arrows into the world of cinema once more.
