HOW ALAN RICKMAN RESCUED ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES
By David Crow
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is officially 30-years-old. We recount the movie’s wonderful weirdness, and Alan Rickman’s unforgettable performance.
An adventure classic, particularly for older millennials, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves often remembered with a raised eyebrow.
Yes the music and locations are amazing, but what about Kevin Costner’s accent?
And what is up with the random witchcraft stuff?
Yet something everyone agrees about is how wonderful Alan Rickman is as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Even critics like Roger Ebert who hated the movie, loved Rickman as Nottingham.
And despite its mixed reception, Rickman went on to win the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in the role.
Which is impressive since Rickman originally didn’t want to play the part.
Already tired of villains by 1990, the Hans Guber actor turned Robin Hood down, twice.
It wasn’t until director Kevin Reynolds promised Rickman carte blanche that he agreed.
And a big element of that was throwing out the screenplay wherever possible.
Years later Rickman admitted he even rewrote major scenes with theatre friends one evening in a Pizza Hut.
“Will you have a look at this script because it’s terrible, and I need some really good lines,” he said.
One major addition is the Sheriff’s speech: “Cancel kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas!”
Another was Rickman ordering two women, “You. My room. 10:30. You. 10:45. And bring a friend.”
And Rickman personally improvised the Sheriff’s now iconic line of “Locksley, I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon!”
Only the director knew Rickman was going to go rogue like this. And we’re all the richer for it.