Thomasin McKenzie, Finn Cole and Antony Starr Lead Robin Hood Retelling 'The Lie of Sherwood Forest'

A new take on the Robin Hood legend is heading to market. "The Lie of Sherwood Forest" will be introduced to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market, with Logical Pictures International and Protagonist Pictures jointly handling sales on the project.

The film comes from German production company augenschein and is set to begin production on Nov. 9. Patrick Vollrath, known for the hijacking thriller "7500" and "Subversion," is directing. Thomasin McKenzie ("Victorian Psycho," "The Testament of Ann Lee"), Finn Cole ("Peaky Blinders," "Last Breath") and Antony Starr ("The Boys," "The Covenant") lead the cast.

Also among the ensemble are Smylie Bradwell ("Faith," "Hamnet"), Brian Vernel ("The Odyssey," "Slow Horses") and Richard Durden ("Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"). Harris Kauffman wrote the screenplay, working from a story by Joachim Hedén and Vollrath.

According to the production's description, the film transforms the familiar folklore into a "grounded, hard-hitting fight for survival, loyalty and justice," bringing a contemporary edge to one of storytelling's most enduring figures.

The story follows Robin Hood and his companions after a young woman deceives them into undertaking a daring mission to rescue her captured brother, an operation that spirals into a perilous heist. As loyalties fracture and hidden motives emerge, the outlaws must confront the true cost of their choices and the price of challenging those in power. As the synopsis puts it: "But what begins as one desperate lie will inadvertently change the course of the legend forever."

Protagonist Pictures CEO Dave Bishop called the project a radical new take on one of the world's most enduring legends, reinvented as a bold and visceral film. "Patrick Vollrath will deliver an electrifying cinematic vision to a story that turns mythology on its head, combining gripping set pieces with genuine moral complexity," he said.

Andrei Kamarowsky, head of international at Logical Pictures Group, said the premise's ingenuity was what immediately drew the company in, describing how one young woman's desperate deception sends Robin Hood and his outlaws on a dangerous journey that will ultimately reshape the myth. He added that the film remains true to the spirit of the original folklore while bringing a fresh perspective, real emotional stakes and unrelenting tension.

Augenschein's Maximilian Leo, Jonas Katzenstein and Daniel Sonnabend are producing, in co-production with ZDF and with funding support from Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), the German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Films, the European Investment Fund and Creative Europe Media.

The project reunites Vollrath with augenschein following their earlier collaboration. "Our collaboration with Patrick on 7500 was a defining moment for augenschein, and we've been excited to find the right opportunity to work together again," Katzenstein said. Leo added that the film builds on the "edge-of-your-seat tension and visceral, grounded action" that defined "7500," taking those elements to a new level within the world of Robin Hood.

Augenschein and Logical Pictures Group are financing, with the group's sales subsidiary Logical Pictures International co-representing sales alongside Protagonist Pictures. Executive producers are Bishop, George Hamilton and James Pugh for Protagonist, and Frédéric Fiore, Ryan Wickers and Kamarowsky for Logical Pictures Group.