by: S. Scott Stanikmas – Senior Staff Writer
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Robin Hood’s band of merry men just recruited his second-in-command.

The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Jamie Foxx has signed up to portray Little John in Lionsgate’s Robin Hood: Origins, a gritty retelling of the original emerald archer’s first days.

Foxx joins Taron Egerton, who will play Robin of Locksley, and Eve Hewson who has signed up to play Maid Marian.

The story reportedly follows a Robin Hood that is freshly returned from the Crusades, only to find his beloved Sherwood Forest overrun by evil and corrupt forces. Robin gathers himself a band of freedom fighters who battle against injustice.

Deadline did a little more digging and found out that this version of Little John doesn’t exactly start out seeing eye-to-eye with Robin. He’ll be a veteran of the Crusades, but for the opposite side Robin was fighting on. Tired of all the fighting, LJ will initially be at odds with Robin, but will eventually become one of his most trusted allies.

The film was scheduled to start filming around now, but with Taron Egerton currently on tap to start filming Kingsman 2 the new plan is for this to start filming as soon as that film is in the can.

That works out for Foxx as well, as the actor is about to begin working with Edgar Wright on his next film, Baby Driver.