Robin Hood | |
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Directed by | Wolfgang Reitherman |
Story by |
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Based on | The legend of Robin Hood |
Produced by | Wolfgang Reitherman |
Starring | |
Edited by |
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Music by | George Bruns |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 83 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $5 million [1] |
Box office | $33 million [2] |
Robin Hood is a 1973 American animated musical adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it is based on the English folktale "Robin Hood". Taking place in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, the story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John, and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John, and Robin Hood wins the hand of Maid Marian. The film features the voices of Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Peter Ustinov, Pat Buttram, Monica Evans, Terry-Thomas, Roger Miller, and Carole Shelley.
The idea to adapt Robin Hood into an animated feature was dated back to Walt Disney's interest in the tale of Reynard the Fox following the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The idea was repeatedly shelved for several decades. In 1968, Ken Anderson pitched a film adaptation of Robin Hood, incorporating ideas from Reynard the Fox by using anthropomorphic animals rather than humans. The project was approved, becoming the first completely "post-Walt" animated feature and the first with an entirely non-human cast.
Robin Hood was released on November 8, 1973. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it was nonetheless a box-office success, grossing $33 million worldwide against a production budget of $5 million. Although some retrospective reviews have criticized the heavy use of animation recycled from previous Disney films, the film's reputation has grown positively over time and has since become a cult classic.
Minstrel Alan-a-Dale narrates the story. While crossing Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and Little John narrowly escape capture by the Sheriff of Nottingham and his archers. They learn that the arrogant, greedy, and immature Prince John will be traveling through the forest. They rob his caravan, embarrassing the Prince who promises revenge. Robin and Little John distribute the Prince's wealth among the starving and overtaxed villagers of Nottingham. Robin also gives a hat and bow to young Skippy Rabbit for the latter's birthday. Trying out the bow, Skippy accidentally fires an arrow into the courtyard of Prince John's castle. While retrieving it, Skippy and his friends meet Maid Marian and her lady-in-waiting Lady Kluck. Skippy's hat reminds Marian of Robin Hood, and she reveals that they were childhood sweethearts. She wonders if Robin still remembers her.
Meanwhile, Robin is thinking of Marian at his and Little John's forest hideaway. Local priest Friar Tuck brings news that Prince John will be hosting an archery tournament; the grand prize will be a kiss from Maid Marian. Robin and Little John, disguised as a Devonshire stork and (respectively) the Duke of Chutney, win the competition; however, Prince John sees through Robin's disguise and sentences him to death. Marian pleads for Robin's life; while they proclaim their love for each other, Little John gets Robin released by threatening Prince John with a dagger in his back. Suddenly the Sheriff of Nottingham intervenes, and Prince John again orders Robin's death. The Nottingham villagers fight Prince John's soldiers. Robin, Marian, Lady Kluck, and Little John escape.
Robin and Marian share a romantic evening, which is disrupted with partying by the Nottingham villagers. They sing “The Phony King of England”, about Prince John's fraud and incompetence; the song becomes popular even among Prince John's own advisors. The Prince angrily triples the taxes on the villagers, all of whom are soon jailed when their money runs out. Visiting Friar Tuck's now-empty church, the Sheriff takes a gold coin from the poor box. When Friar Tuck attempts to get the coin back, he is arrested for high treason. Prince John orders his execution as bait to trap Robin Hood.
The night before the execution, Robin and Little John break into the jail. They free the villagers, who make off with Prince John's wealth. Sir Hiss, ostensibly the Prince's aide-de-camp but in fact his whipping boy, tries to stop the breakout by rousing the castle. The villagers escape, but Robin is trapped while rescuing Skippy's younger sister Tagalong. The Sheriff chases Robin with a lit torch, setting the castle on fire. Cornered, Robin evades Prince John's archers by diving from a turret into the moat. Sir Hiss criticizes Prince John for the plot which resulted in his mother's castle being destroyed. Infuriated, the Prince chases Hiss through the flames.
Later on, King Richard returns from the Crusades. He puts Prince John, Sir Hiss, and the Sheriff of Nottingham in prison. Richard also pardons Robin Hood, and forgives the villagers' taxes. Robin and Marian are married and ride off together.
"As director of story and character concepts, I knew right off that sly Robin Hood must be a fox. From there it was logical that Maid Marian should be a pretty vixen. Little John, legendarily known for his size, was easily a big overgrown bear.
Friar Tuck is great as a badger, but he was also great as a pig, as I had originally planned. Then I thought the symbol of a pig might be offensive to the Church, so we changed him. Richard the Lion-hearted, of course, had to be a regal, proud, strong lion; and his pathetic cousin [historically, and in the movie, his brother] Prince John, the weak villain, also had to be a lion, but we made him scrawny and childish. I originally thought of a snake as a member of the poor townspeople but one of the other men here suggested that a snake would be perfect as a slithering consort [Sir Hiss] to mean Prince John."
During production on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Walt Disney became interested in adapting the twelfth-century legend of Reynard the Fox. [5] However, the project languished due to Disney's concern that Reynard was an unsuitable choice for a hero. [6] In a meeting held on February 12, 1938, Disney commented:
I see swell possibilities in 'Reynard', but is it smart to make it? We have such a terrific kid audience ... parents and kids together. That's the trouble – too sophisticated. We'll take a nosedive doing it with animals. [7]
For Treasure Island (1950), Disney seriously considered three animated sections, each one of the Reynard tales, to be told by Long John Silver to Jim Hawkins as moral fables. Ultimately, the idea was nixed as Treasure Island became the studio's first fully live-action film. In the next decade, the studio decided to make Reynard the villain of a musical feature film based on Edmond Rostand's Chanticleer , but the production was scrapped in favor of The Sword in the Stone (1963). [5]
In October 1968, Ken Anderson went on a fishing trip with Disney Studios president Card Walker. There, Walker suggested that a classic tale should be the subject for the next animated film after The Aristocats (1970). Anderson proposed the tale of Robin Hood, to which Walker responded enthusiastically. [8] Back at the studio, Anderson relayed the idea during a story meeting on The Aristocats which was met with approval. In a follow-up meeting, with Wolfgang Reitherman, Bill Anderson (no relation), and Larry Clemmons, Ken Anderson was assigned the job to begin "exploratory animal character drawings". [9] On his own, Anderson blended his ideas for the character Robin Hood by conceptualizing him as a slick fox that still used his skills to protect the community. [10]
Additionally, Anderson wanted to set the film in the Deep South desiring to recapture the spirit of Song of the South (1946). Anderson explained, "Basically I had a wonderful time on Song of the South, and I know that all of my friends in animation did. They loved the part I played and I loved the part they played ... And so it was an attempt on my part to get the best of that sort of thing and get it going on again, bring it up-to-date." [11] However, the Disney Studios executives had precautions because of the racial controversy surrounding Song of the South. Reitherman further overruled Anderson's creative suggestion by setting the film in its traditional English location as inspired by The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952). [12] Clemmons came on board the project to write a story outline with dialogue that was later storyboarded by other artists. [10]
As production went further along, Robin Allan stated in his book Walt Disney and Europe that "Ken Anderson wept when he saw how his character concepts had been processed into stereotypes for the animation on Robin Hood." [13] According to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, one such casualty was the concept of making the Sheriff of Nottingham a goat as an artistic experiment to try different animals for a villain, only to be overruled by Reitherman who wanted to keep to the villainous stereotype of a wolf instead. [14] Additionally, Anderson wanted to include the Merry Men into the film, which was again overridden by Reitherman because he wanted a "buddy picture" reminiscent of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). [15] Little John was the only Merry Man retained in the film, while Friar Tuck was put as a friend of Robin's who lived in Nottingham, and Alan-a-Dale was turned into the narrator.
Because of the time spent on developing several settings, and auditioning actors to voice the title character, production fell behind schedule. [12] In order to meet its deadline, the animators had no other choice but to recycle several dance sequences from previous Disney animated films, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Jungle Book (1967), and The Aristocats (1970) that are used in the "Phony King of England" scene. [16]
By October 1970, most of the voice actors were confirmed, with the exception of Tommy Steele cast in the title role. [17] Steele himself was chosen because of his performance in The Happiest Millionaire (1967) while Peter Ustinov was cast because Walt Disney had enjoyed his presence on the set of Blackbeard's Ghost (1968). However, Steele was unable to make his character sound more heroic, [12] and his replacement came down to final two candidates which were Bernard Fox and Brian Bedford. [18] Disney executives had first seen Bedford performing onstage in Los Angeles, in which they brought him in to test for the role in May 1971 and ultimately cast him. [19] Meanwhile, Louis Prima was so angered at not being considered for a role that he personally paid the recording expenses for the subsequent album, Let's "Hear" it For Robin Hood, which he sold to Disneyland Records. [20]
The film premiered at the Radio City Music Hall on November 8, 1973. [21] The film was re-released on March 26, 1982.
The film was first released on VHS, CED, Betamax, and Laserdisc on December 3, 1984, becoming the debut installment of the Walt Disney Classics home video line. [22] Disney had thought the idea of releasing any of its animated classics (known as the "untouchables") might threaten future theatrical reissue revenue. However, Robin Hood was viewed as the first choice since it was not held in such high esteem as some of the other titles. [23] The VHS counterpart was re-released several times. The release went into moratorium in April 1987. [24] 4 years after the moratorium, it was re-issued as a permanent availability title on July 12, 1991. [25] The film was re-released on VHS six more times; on October 28, 1994, March 3, 1995, February 28, 1996, July 15, 1997, March 31, 1998, and July 13, 1999, in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line.
In January 2000, Walt Disney Home Video launched the Gold Classic Collection. Six months later, Robin Hood was re-released on VHS and DVD in the line on July 4, 2000, and remained in stock until the spring of 2006. [26] The DVD contained the film in its 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and was accompanied with special features including a trivia game and the cartoon short "Ye Olden Days". [27] The remastered "Most Wanted Edition" DVD ("Special Edition" in the UK) was released on November 28, 2006, in a 16:9 matted transfer to represent its original theatrical screen ratio. It also featured a deleted scene/alternate ending of Prince John attempting to kill a wounded Robin Hood. On August 6, 2013, the film was released as the 40th Anniversary Edition on a Blu-ray combo pack. [28]
Judith Crist, reviewing the film in New York magazine, said it was "nicely tongue-in-cheek without insult to the intelligence of either child or adult." She also stated that it "has class – in the fine cast that gives both voice and personality to the characters, in the bright and brisk dialogue, in its overall concept." [29] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that it "should ... be a good deal of fun for toddlers whose minds have not yet shriveled into orthodoxy" and he called the visual style "charmingly conventional". [30] Dave Billington of The Montreal Gazette wrote "As a film, Robin Hood marks a come-back of sorts for the Disney people. Ever since the old maestro died, the cartoon features have shown distressing signs of a drop in quality, both in art work and in voice characterization. But the blending of appealing cartoon animals with perfect voices for the part makes Robin Hood an excellent evening out for the whole family." [31] Also writing in New York magazine, Ruth Gilbert called it "a sweet, funny, slam-bang, good-hearted Walt Disney feature cartoon with a fine cast" and wrote it was "a feast for the eyes for kiddies and Disney nostalgics." [32]
Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the Disney "hallmarks are there as they ever were: the incomparably rich, full animation, the humanized animal characters perky, individual and enchanting, and the wild, inventive slapstick action." [33] Awarding the film four stars out of five, Ian Nathan, in a retrospective review for Empire , praised the vocal performances of Peter Ustinov and Terry-Thomas acknowledging "while this is hardly the most dazzling of animated features, it has that cut-corner feel that seem to hold sway in the '70s (mainly because Disney were cutting corners), the characters spark to life, and the story remains as rock steady as ever." [34]
Among less favorable reviews, Jay Cocks of Time gave the film a mixed verdict writing, "Even at its best, Robin Hood is only mildly diverting. There is not a single moment of the hilarity or deep, eerie fear that the Disney people used to be able to conjure up, or of the sort of visual invention that made the early features so memorable. Robin Hood's basic problem is that it is rather too pretty and good natured." [35] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film one-and-a-half stars out of four, describing the film as "80 minutes of pratfalls and nincompoop dialog," and criticizing the animation quality as "Saturday morning TV cartoon stuff." [36] John Baxter of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that "for the most part the film is as bland and one-dimensional as the product of less sophisticated studios; and except for Peter Ustinov's plummy Prince John, the voice characterisations are as insipid as the animation is unoriginal." [37]
Decades since the film's release, the film has been noted for the recycled scenes of animation. [38] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film received a 58% approval rating with an average rating of 5.7/10 based on 31 reviews. The website's consensus states that "One of the weaker Disney adaptations, Robin Hood is cute and colorful but lacks the majesty and excitement of the studio's earlier efforts." [39] Metacritic gave the film a score of 57 based on 9 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [40]
During its initial release, Robin Hood earned $9.6 million in rentals in the United States and Canada. [41] It also grossed $18 million in foreign territories, which was at the time a Disney record, for a worldwide rental of $27.5 million. [42]
The film has earned a lifetime gross in the United States and Canada between $32–35 million across its two releases. [2] [43] [44]
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Academy Awards | Best Song | "Love" Music by George Bruns; Lyrics by Floyd Huddleston | Nominated | [45] |
Grammy Awards | Best Recording for Children | Robin Hood Roger Miller and Various Artists | Nominated | [46] |
Robin Hood | ||||
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Studio album by Various artists | ||||
Released | 1973 | |||
Recorded | 1969–1973 | |||
Genre | Classical, soundtrack, classic pop | |||
Label | Disneyland Records | |||
Walt Disney Animation Studios chronology | ||||
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In 1969, Roger Miller began composing the songs for the film. [47] A record of the film was made at the time of its release in 1973, which included its songs, score, narration, and dialogue. Both "Oo-De-Lally" and "Love" appear on the CD collection, Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic . "Love" is featured in the soundtrack for the 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox , directed by Wes Anderson. The full soundtrack of the film was released on August 4, 2017, as part of the Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection series on compact disc and digital. [48]
The song "The Phony King of England" bears a strong resemblance to a much older, bawdy English folk song, "The Bastard King of England". [49]
Original songs performed in the film include:
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Whistle Stop" | Roger Miller | Roger Miller | |
2. | "Oo-De-Lally" | Roger Miller | Roger Miller | |
3. | "Love" | Floyd Huddleston & George Bruns | Nancy Adams | |
4. | "The Phony King of England" | Johnny Mercer | Phil Harris | |
5. | "Not in Nottingham" | Roger Miller | Roger Miller | |
6. | "Whistle Stop (Reprise)" | Roger Miller | ||
7. | "Oo-De-Lally (Reprise)" | Disney Studio Chorus |
The film has since become a fan favorite. [50] [51] Disney animator and director Byron Howard admitted that Robin Hood was his favorite film while growing up and cited it as a major influence on Zootopia . [52] It was also one of the many inspirations for the then-emerging furry fandom. [50] Some of the characters from the film also cameoed in the 1983 Oscar-nominated featurette short Mickey's Christmas Carol . [53] The film was nominated for a spot on AFI's 10 Top 10 by American Film Institute in 2008 for the Animated Film list. [54]
The song "Love" was featured in the 2009 feature film Fantastic Mr. Fox . [55] as well as on the 2023 Amazon.com Super Bowl ad "Saving Sawyer". [56] [57] [58] The song "Whistle-Stop" was sped up and used in the Hampster Dance, one of the earliest internet memes, [59] and later used at normal speed in the Super Bowl XLVIII commercial for T-Mobile. [60] The song "Oo De Lally" is featured in a 2015 commercial for Android which shows animals of different species playing together. [61]
Robin Hood, Little John, Maid Marian, Prince John and Sir Hiss appear as playable characters in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms , along with attractions based on Sherwood Forest and Nottingham. In the game, the characters are involved in new storylines that serve as a continuation of the events of the film. [62]
In April 2020, it was reported that Disney was developing a live-action/CG hybrid remake of Robin Hood featuring the same kind of anthropomorphic characters as in the 1973 film, with Kari Granlund writing, Carlos Lopez Estrada directing (after previously directing the Academy Award-nominated Raya and the Last Dragon ), and Justin Springer producing. The remake was set to be released exclusively on Disney+. [63]
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. It is directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and written by Ken Anderson, Larry Clemmons, Eric Cleworth, Vance Gerry, Julius Svendsen, Frank Thomas and Ralph Wright. It is the final Disney animated film made with the involvement of Walt Disney Productions' co-founder Roy O. Disney before his death on December 20, 1971. The film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe, and revolves around a family of aristocratic cats, and how an alley cat acquaintance helps them after a butler has kidnapped them to gain his mistress's fortune which was intended to go to them. The film features the voices of Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Hermione Baddeley, Dean Clark, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, and Roddy Maude-Roxby.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a character from the Robin Hood legends of English folklore. He first appears in "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne", where he is an assassin who attempts to kill Robin Hood but is killed by him. In later depictions, he has become a romantic rival to Robin Hood for Maid Marian's love.
Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circumstances are obscure, but she commanded high respect in Robin’s circle for her courage and independence as well as her beauty and loyalty. For this reason, she is celebrated by feminist commentators as one of the early strong female characters in English literature.
The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO-Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and directed by Ken Annakin. It is the second of Disney's complete live-action films, after Treasure Island (1950), and the first of four films Annakin directed for Disney.
The Fox and the Hound is a 1981 American animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a red fox named Tod and a hound named Copper, as they struggle against their emerging instincts and the realization that they are meant to be adversaries.
Wolfgang Reitherman, also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German-American animator, director and producer and one of the "Nine Old Men" of core animators at Walt Disney Productions. He emerged as a key figure at Disney during the 1960s and 1970s, a transitionary period which saw the death of Walt Disney in 1966, with Reitherman serving as director and/or producer on eight consecutive Disney animated feature films from One Hundred and One Dalmatians through The Fox and the Hound.
Alan-a-Dale is a figure in the Robin Hood legend. According to the stories, he was a wandering minstrel who became a member of Robin's band of outlaws, the "Merry Men".
Will Scarlet is a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He is present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son.
The Sword in the Stone is a 1963 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Distribution. It is based on the novel of the same name by T. H. White, first published in 1938 and then revised and republished in 1958 as the first book of White's Arthurian tetralogy The Once and Future King. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, the film features the voices of Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Sebastian Cabot, Norman Alden, and Martha Wentworth. It was the last animated film from Walt Disney Productions to be released in Walt Disney's lifetime.
"Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow" is an English folk song, part of the Robin Hood canon. It features an archery competition for a golden arrow that has long appeared in Robin Hood tales, but it is the oldest recorded one where Robin's disguise prevents his detection.
Young Robin Hood is an animated series produced for television by Hanna-Barbera, CINAR and France Animation and aired in syndication in 1991. It ran for one season as part of the Sunday-morning programming block, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (1985–94). The show takes place when Robin Hood is a teenager, Richard the Lion Heart is on his "first crusade" and Robin's father, the Earl of Huntington, joins him. Young Robin Hood was Hanna-Barbera's second adaptation of the legend of Robin Hood, after their 1972 television special The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik.
Kenneth B. "Ken" Anderson was an American animator, art director, and storyboard artist for The Walt Disney Company. He had been named by Walt Disney as his "jack of all trades".
The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, stealing from the rich, and the Sheriff, in order to give to the poor; it is this characteristic for which Robin Hood is best known. The Sheriff is considered the archenemy of Robin Hood, as he is the most recurring enemy of the well-known outlaw.
Friar Tuck is one of the Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood.
Disney's Nine Old Men were a group of Walt Disney Productions' core animators, who worked at the studio from the 1920s to the 1980s. Some of the Nine Old Men also worked as directors, creating some of Disney's most popular animated movies from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Rescuers. The group was named by Walt Disney himself, and they worked in both short and feature films. Disney delegated more and more tasks to them in the animation department in the 1950s when their interests expanded, and diversified their scope. Eric Larson was the last to retire from Disney, after his role as animation consultant on The Great Mouse Detective in 1986. All nine members of the group were acknowledged as Disney Legends in 1989 and all would receive the Winsor McCay Award for their lifetime or career contributions to the art of animation.
Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse is a 2012 American animated direct-to-video action-adventure musical comedy film starring the seven-time Academy Award-winning cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as well as the historical and heroic outlaw Robin Hood. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Turner Entertainment Co., the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 28, 2012.
The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik is an animated television movie produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Broadcasting on the ABC television network on November 4, 1972, it was part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie series. The special featured an all-animal cast in a retelling of Robin Hood. The show premiered just a year before Walt Disney Productions released their theatrical animated version of the story. Nineteen years later, in 1991, Hanna-Barbera produced another television adaptation of the Robin Hood legend, Young Robin Hood, their international co-production with CINAR, Crayon Animation and France Animation.
Robin Hood is a fictional character in Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film Robin Hood (1973). Robin Hood is voiced by Shakespearean and Tony Award winning actor Brian Bedford. The film is based on the legends of Robin Hood and Reynard the fox, a 12th-century Alsatian fairy tale character, but uses anthropomorphic animals rather than people; in Robin's case being a red fox. The story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John, and Robin Hood wins the hand of Maid Marian.
Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood is a CG-animated series produced by Method Animation and DQ Entertainment, in co-production with Fabrique d'Images, ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, De Agostini Editore, and KidsMe S.r.l., with the participation of TF1 and The Walt Disney Company France, and in association with COFIMAGE 24. It is an animated adaptation of the Robin Hood story.