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Taron Egerton broke out in a big way with his turn in Kingsman: The Secret Service, and the actor followed that up with a swell but very different turn in Eddie the Eagle. But now, he’s gearing up to lead another potential franchise-starter, and it sounds like yet another departure.

Egerton is getting ready to start shooting Robin Hood: Origins next month in Hungary, so when Collider’s own Steve Weintraub spoke with the actor in anticipation of the release of the animated film Sing (in which he has a lead voice role), the conversation also touched on the Robin Hood retelling. The project has been described as taking a Batman Begins approach to the Robin Hood story, and indeed Egerton teased that this is very different from any Robin Hood you’ve seen before:

“It’s a real reimagining; it’s not really very recognizable as Robin Hood. Robin Hood has a reputation for being quite clean and wholesome, aside from Alan Rickman’s amazing performance in the Kevin Costner version, but it’s tights and thigh-slapping and merry men. This is really kind of dark and gritty and very funny too, but it’s a real revisionist version of the story. There’s no singing and riding through the glen in this; it’s a real war movie. Quite an anti-establishment war movie, I would say… It’s dark. And Robin’s not perfect in it, either, which is what I like about it. He’s not a classic hero, he makes mistakes.”

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Image via 20th Century Fox

This sounds a bit like Ridley Scott’s take on the Robin Hood myth, the 2010 film Robin Hood, as that also took a gritty, war-like approach to the story. Origins, however, clearly has a much younger Robin Hood at heart, so it’ll be interesting to see how it comes together.

Peaky Blinders helmer Otto Bathurst is directing the film, which Egerton says begins filming in January in Hungary for about a four-and-a-half-month shoot. And while some of the casting has already come together, Egerton says there’s an exciting announcement regarding the Sheriff of Nottingham coming soon.

“Jamie Foxx is Little John, Eve Hewson is Maid Marion. We have got the most kick ass Sheriff of Nottingham, I cannot tell you. I don’t think I’m allowed to say yet but I think it’ll probably be announced soon. Oh my God.”

But before we see Egerton as Robin Hood, we’ll see him return in the sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle which hits theaters next October. When asked what he can tease about the follow-up, Egerton praised director Matthew Vaughn’s unwillingness to make the film unless the script was right:

“I remember when we finished the first one I was like, ‘This is a franchise right?’ and [Vaughn] said, ‘Well it depends on the first one. I’m not doing it unless the script is right.’ And he went away and him and Jane Goldman, his writing partner, wrote a really bloody good script. That’s always the most important thing; good director, good script, you’re on your way. It was hard, it was a tough shoot, it always is on that thing, but I think it’s gonna be amazing.”

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Image via 20th Century Fox

When asked if he’s seen any footage, Egerton cracked a knowing smile and teased what sounds like a film that’s just as radically violent as the first one:

“It’s fucking mental, but it’s what people like and it’s what Matthew is good at. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s awesome… It’s bigger and it feels more ambitious, really. There are more characters, the world is explored in more detail. This weird version of reality where these spies exist is kind of explored more. I know Matthew’s announced a lot about the fact that we discover a sister organization based in America called the Statesman. They’re richer than us, they’ve got cool shit.”

Yep, sounds like Kingsman. Now that wait for the film feels that much longer. Watch the video interview above and look for our full interview with Egerton on Collider soon.

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Image via 20th Century Fox

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