Variety reports that Universal Pictures has bought Nottingham, a hotly-pursued spec script from the creators of “Sleeper Cell,” in a deal that will reunite Russell Crowe with Imagine Entertainment.
Crowe will receive $20 million against $20 million to star as the Sheriff of Nottingham in this revisionist version of the Robin Hood story; screenwriters Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris will receive seven figures for the script. There is no director attached yet.
Imagine’s Brian Grazer will produce the film, expected to start shooting at the end of the year or early 2008.
For Imagine, Crowe stars in the upcoming American Gangster (Nov. 2) and has previously toplined Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind. Crowe also stars in 3:10 to Yuma, coming Oct. 12.
