Ridley Scott's 'Robin Hood' to open Cannes festival

(All Rights Reserved)

Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood" will open this year's Cannes film festival, the organisers said Friday, but the latest screen version of the legendary English outlaw will not be in competition.

The film, with a stellar cast that includes Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Max Von Sydow, Vanessa Redgrave and Lea Seydoux, will kick off the 63rd Cannes festival which runs from May 12 to 23.

"To revisit the legend, Ridley Scott has chosen Russell Crowe in a role previously brought to the screen by Errol Flynn, Sean Connery and even Kevin Costner," they said.

Scott, 72, is no stranger to the Croisette having won the 1977 Cannes Film Festival prize for his debut feature "The Duellists." In 1991 his road movie "Thelma and Louise" featured at the festival.

Visionary screen story-teller Tim Burton will head the jury at Cannes this year.