Michael Sarnoski explains why Death of Robin Hood is 'challenging' for viewers

Michael Sarnoski has admitted The Death of Robin Hood will be "challenging" for viewers but it's important to "give them something that's different".

The writer-and-director's film features a much darker take on the outlaw and while he knows it won't be to everyone's taste, he wanted to show a different side to the archer - who is played by Hugh Jackman - because people complain when they are just offered new versions of the same story.

He told The Times newspaper: "[But] then you try and give them something that’s different and they’re like, ‘Why can’t we have our classic Robin Hood again?’ You can’t worry about that sort of reaction.

"I knew this would be challenging for people but I think if we only give people the versions of characters that they’re used to, we’re just not going to grow very much.”

The first hour of the film is said to be very bleak and bloody, and the director insisted it was important to "go really far" in order to send a message to the audience.

He explained: “Because when people watch, they are so used to assuming that Robin was a hero and a good guy. I think we had to go really far with it to let the audience know, hey, we’re not kidding around here. We’re saying, ‘This is a brutal guy. This isn’t a misunderstood hero who has just had a hard lot in life.’

“Those early ballads [about Robin Hood] are extremely brutal, even if they are played for fun. In Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne he chops off Guy’s head and then wears it on his own head and goes into town to pretend to be Guy. I mean, like, what?”

According to the stories, Robin ultimately died quietly in a priory, which has always puzzled Michael.

He said: “He is just, like, quietly blood-let to death. That’s not even, like, an exciting way to die. That’s like falling asleep very slowly in a church bedchamber.”

Michael doesn't believe his film shows a "crazy interpretation" of the legend.

He said: “I think in a lot of ways, like, this isn’t some crazy interpretation of Robin. It’s just like, OK, what if some of these violent things actually happened? What if he handled that like a lot of humans do, which is that he is haunted in some ways?

"Then we get to a fairly accurate portrayal of the death of Robin Hood scene, which is one of the oldest stories. I feel like in a lot of ways this is an interpretation of Robin that has just as much accuracy as a dancing fox does.”