Robin Hood trailer: Taron Egerton shoots up Sherwood Forest in slo-mo

The first trailer for a "gritty" new Hollywood retelling of the Robin Hood myth, has been released today – and the merry men aren't looking particularly merry.

The film stars British actor Taron Egerton, best known for the Kingsman films, as the medieval hero who would steal from the rich and give to the poor, alongside American star Jamie Foxx as Little John.

An official synopsis for the film reads: “A war-hardened Crusader and a Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure.

“Packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance, Robin Hood is a never before seen story of how Robin Hood became the icon and legend as we know him today.”

The film's director Otto Bathurst has described Robin Hood as "this sort of seriously militarized anarchist revolutionary", while producer Basil Iwanyk has revealed that this version of the much-loved character is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, after returning from fighting in the Crusades.

The new trailer gives audiences their first glimpse of the film's CGI-augmented action sequences. According to Foxx, who has compared the film to Iraq War thriller Zero Dark Thirty, digital editing was used make the heroes bows and arrows “rapid-fire, almost like an AK”.

Ben Mendelsohn plays the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham, alongside comedian Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck and Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan as Robin's brother Will Scarlet. Irish actress Eve Hewson, daughter of U2's Bono, plays Robin's lover Maid Marian.

Robin Hood is released in UK cinemas on November 23