Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art.
That mixed messaging left many wondering whether director Paul Greengrass had secretly made The Uprising into a Robin Hood origin story or whether the connection was being exaggerated for promotional purposes. The answer lies somewhere between history and folklore.
Viewed through that lens, the Ploughman appears less like Robin Hood himself and more like one of the figures who helped inspire the legend. Rather than adapting familiar stories involving Sherwood Forest, Little John, or the Sheriff of Nottingham, The Uprising explores the social conditions and popular movements that may have contributed to Robin Hood's emergence in English folklore.
The Uprising's focus remains on the Peasants’ Revolt. However, the themes of rebellion, injustice, and resistance against authority, would later become central to Robin Hood stories. It is fundamentally a historical drama, even if its protagonist can be interpreted as a precursor to England's most famous outlaw.
Why The Uprising Changed Its Subtitle To "The Rise of Robin Hood"
In reality, the subtitle (later called a tagline) reflects The Uprising's broader thematic ambitions. According to promotional materials, the story takes place during events that helped inspire the Robin Hood legend. Rather than depicting an established folk hero, the film explores the type of social upheaval that could give rise to one.
Garfield has described Robin Hood as an archetype that emerges during periods when ordinary people feel powerless and exploited. He explained that the film was interested in capturing the spirit of Robin Hood rather than simply retelling familiar stories. He explained to The Hollywood Reporter:
“The Robin Hood aspect is more of an emergent energy and archetype within our story. It’s a figure that starts to emerge from the unconscious and the ground during periods of time when common folk are feeling disempowered, abused, violated and separated from the dignity of living their own lives.”Greengrass has made similar comments, explaining that Robin Hood's enduring popularity comes from stories about ordinary people standing up to authority when they feel abandoned by those in power. He has even revealed that an earlier
- Release Date
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September 11, 2026
- Runtime
- Director
- Writers
- Producers
128 Minutes
Paul Greengrass
Paul Greengrass
Gregory Goodman, Jason Blum, Joanna Kaye, Lars Sylvest, Paul Greengrass, Joe Neurauter
Cast
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Ploughman
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Jamie BellJohn Ball
Set during the English Peasants' Revolt in 1381, this upcoming historic drama follows a farmer who rises as a leader against the Crown's forces, led by the young King Richard II.
- Main Genre