Robin Hood is getting a bold new reimagining on MGM+, with Lionsgate Television producing the epic series set to premiere on November 2, 2025, following the streamer's new series The Institute, which aired earlier this year. Starring Jack Patten as Robin "Rob" Hood, Lauren McQueen as Marian, and Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham, the show revisits one of England's most enduring legends through a grounded and emotional origin story.
Speaking exclusively with The Direct's David Thompson, writer John Glenn explained that the team focused on "anchoring it in an origin story… telling the story of how this sort of rebel became this legend," adding that "this story originated centuries ago, but there’s a reason people are intrigued by it and want to return to it."
Alongside its timeless themes of justice and rebellion, Robin Hood also puts renewed focus on the romance between Rob and Marian.
Director Jonathan English described their dynamic as having a "Romeo and Juliet idea within their romance," emphasizing how the series explores the tension between their Saxon and Norman roots. English and Glenn also highlighted the show's impressive scale and cinematic look, praising MGM+ for being "television for film lovers."
MGM+ has had successes like From, which is expected to return for a fourth season in 2026 following some uncertainty after Season 3.
Filmed in Serbia, English noted that "Serbia is an incredibly unique and special place" that allowed the team to "create a grander scale than we would have been able to in a lot of other places."
A New Robin Hood Origin Story
"His Story Originated Centuries Ago, But There's A Reason People Are Intrigued By It...."
- The Direct: "How did you strike that balance between honoring the legend of Robin Hood and making it feel fresh for today's audiences?
John Glenn: Anchoring it in an origin story...telling the story of how this sort of rebel... how did he become this legend, and starting when he was a child and meeting his parents and the community that he lived in, it grounds it, and it makes it more personal when it comes right down to it. So that was a big part of it for us.
Going further back than some of the other versions that you may have seen, and in terms of, now, making it modern, it's still the story. But these themes are also modern. I mean, this story originated centuries ago, but there's a reason people are intrigued by it and want to return to it...It seems to be always relevant.
Rob & Marian's Revamped Love Story
"Romeo And Juliet Idea Within Their Romance...."
- The Direct: "Rob and Marian are the emotional core of the story. What was it like reimagining that romance and bringing it to the forefront of this series?"
Jonathan English: One of the things that we wanted to do, which was a little bit different, is that she's a Norman — the daughter of a Norman lord — and he's the son of a Saxon family. So you have a little bit of this sort of Romeo and Juliet idea within their romance, and that's part of the world, because it's this Saxon-Norman world with the conflict that exists between them — all of the politics, the push and pull between the Saxons and the Normans.
It was kind of important that they come from two different worlds. Otherwise, we just really wanted there to be a very strong love story. That was also something that was very important to MGM as well, and we had a lot of support and encouragement from MGM, from the studio, to do that. I think it really makes the story more human, more relatable, and more emotional.
Robin Hood's Epic Scale on MGM+
"Television For Film Lovers. ...."
- The Direct: "It seems very cinematic for a television series. Can you talk about the visual style you guys are going for and the scale of the series?
John Glenn: That is MGM+'s sort of main mandate, it's sort of television for film lovers. So they were kind of a perfect partner for us, a perfect place to be, very supportive in that.
And then Jonathan, as our director, our sort of visualist of the whole series, had very sort of specific and really grandiose ideas that at times we weren’t sure we could actually pull off, but we pulled them off.
"Serbia Is An Incredibly Unique And Special Place..."
Jonathan English: It's not that we saw it as a lavish, glamorous production, but we wanted to create the world, and that required a certain production value, a certain spectacle.
A lot of that really comes down to Serbia, which is where we made the show. Serbia is an incredibly unique and special place that has a long history of filmmaking, and a lot of very, very talented crew and technicians.
We were able to build very large sets, and they also have phenomenal locations, beautiful forests, beautiful rolling countryside. We were able to build sets in a lot of those locations and at the studio.
It allowed the production to create a grander scale than we would have been able to in a lot of other places, but also to do it to a very high standard, which is unique to the film industry in Serbia.
The full interview can be seen below:
