Within days of arriving on HBO Max on Oct. 16, The Death of Robin Hood took the No. 1 position on the service’s U.S. movie chart. The streaming result contrasts sharply with the theatrical performance of Hugh Jackman’s film: it brought in just shy of $9.9 million on a reported budget of $20 million.
Leading that chart doesn’t tell us the film’s viewer count, nor does a U.S. ranking prove a worldwide streaming success. It is still a reversal for the A24 release, which Polygon calls an unqualified box-office disaster.
Running 123 minutes, the film opened in June. In Polygon’s view, having Jackman and A24 attached suggested a potential hit, yet the reported theatrical takings came nowhere near covering its production budget. Reception was also split between critics and viewers. Polygon cites a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating of 69%, alongside a considerably lower audience rating.
Those numbers stand out against Jackman’s history of commercial successes. After 24 years playing the live-action Wolverine in Hollywood, he most recently returned as the quick-tempered mutant James “Logan” Howlett in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. That film made more than $1.3 billion worldwide. The X-Men character may define much of his screen career, but he’s also had hits beyond superhero movies, including The Prestige, The Greatest Showman, and this year’s The Sheep Detectives.
Polygon says this summer’s R-rated action-thriller The Death of Robin Hood gave Jackman another chance to tap into his Old Man Logan side. Michael Sarnoski wrote and directed the film after earlier work including Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One. His version of the English folk hero is rough-edged and violent, with a cynical streak at times.
Polygon contrasts that approach with the more gallant, lighthearted outlaw seen in 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and 2010’s Robin Hood. Kevin Costner took the title role in the former; Russell Crowe played him in the latter. The distinction is explicit on the poster for The Death of Robin Hood, which labels Robin Hood “no hero.”
The official story summary from A24 reads: “Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.”
Joining Jackman in supporting roles are Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Noah Jupe, and Murray Bartlett. Despite the divided response and poor ticket sales, this darker version of the story is now available for viewers to watch on HBO Max.
Polygon hopes Sarnoski’s next film for A24 does better. He’s now directing the live-action adaptation of Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding. Filming is expected to start in 2027, with Iceland and Northern Ireland as its shooting locations.
