Costner vs. Connery (Jason, That Is)

While three American film companies have been scrambling with competing Robin Hood features, a British company could put the first arrow in the target.

Touchdown Productions Ltd. hopes to start shooting its under-$10-million “Robin of Sherwood” this fall, with Jason Connery--son of Sean--starring. Jason currently stars in the “Robin Hood” series shown on British TV, from Gatetarn Productions, which is partnered with Touchdown.

According to Sherri Strain, Touchdown’s director of product, the company was shopping its feature project around Hollywood in early 1988, stressing the film’s merchandising potential. 20th Century Fox was among the distributors pitched.

When Fox passed, says Strain, “We were told that our film was too small, that they wanted a big name and a big package to go with it. And that they’d decided to do their own Robin Hood.”

Fox, Tri-Star and Morgan Creek Productions were all once in the Robin Hood race. But in recent weeks, Morgan Creek--which has Kevin Costner set in “Prince of Thieves,” with Warner Bros. to distribute--left Fox and Tri-Star in the woods.

Strain believes that Touchdown’s concept may have inspired Robinmania in Hollywood. ‘We were naive when we went from studio to studio,” says Strain. “But after all, Robin is in the public domain.”

What will make Touchdown’s Robin Hood saga different?

The legendary English outlaw is the son of Herne, the forest god, says Strain, so there will be a mystical element to “Robin of Sherwood.” It will also be “very gritty”--”and we don’t have him bouncing around in leotards.”

As for the casting competition: “Kevin Costner is a terrific actor, but I don’t know that I’d cast an American actor as Robin.”