Focus Features' upcoming film "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, is creating confusion with its marketing materials, which now suggest a connection to the legendary outlaw Robin Hood. The film was initially presented as a drama centered on the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in England.
Recent promotional content, including a post from the film's official X account, boldly states, "To the rich, he was an outlaw. To the people, he was a hero. Witness the rise of Robin Hood in The Uprising, only in theaters September 11." This announcement was accompanied by a new title card, "The Uprising: The Rise of Robin Hood," depicting Garfield's character in a green hood confronting royal soldiers alongside fellow archers. Garfield's character declares, "There will be no peace until we are free. Time to pay."
However, the film's title was reverted to just "The Uprising" shortly after this marketing push. Furthermore, the film's UK distributor issued a statement to Metro explicitly denying any connection to Robin Hood. "Marketing materials posted by other countries that may appear in the UK online and on social media referencing Robin Hood are not issued or approved by us," the statement read.
Previously, "The Uprising" was understood to focus on the historical Peasants' Revolt, led by figures like Wat Tyler, portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis, and John Ball, played by Jamie Bell. Garfield's character, identified as Ploughman, was thought to represent an everyman peasant driven to rebellion. Early US production notes described his role as "the legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II," forming an "army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice and survival."
Updated US production notes released recently offer a different perspective. They now state the film is "Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood." These notes also cite the 14th-century English poem "Piers Plowman" as an inspiration for the Ploughman character and the filmmakers' approach, noting that the same poem also gave rise to the "Robin Hoode" myth of a common man fighting injustice against authorities.
With "The Uprising" scheduled for theatrical release on September 11, these conflicting messages about its narrative could potentially alienate audiences. The film also arrives in the wake of "The Death of Robin Hood," starring Hugh Jackman, which underperformed at the box office, grossing less than $7 million against a reported $20 million production budget.