When it was announced in October that Kevin Kline would play screen icon Errol Flynn in “The Last of Robin Hood” a film about his inappropriate romance with teenage actress Beverly Aadland toward the end of his life, the question on everyone’s mind was — which lucky young actress would play this role? Now, Deadline reports that it will be a familiar face — Dakota Fanning has signed on for the salacious role.
Beverly Aadland was purportedly 15 years old when her romance with Flynn began, and was at his bedside when he died two years later. Meanwhile, the girl's mother, a failed actress herself (to be played by Susan Sarandon), was living vicariously through her daughter, and even wrote a book about her dalliance with Flynn. Though Fanning tends to deliver solid performances, even in the ‘Twilight’ films as a member of the Volturi, there’s some danger that she may be too wholesome for this role, reminding us of Emma Stone’s miscasting as the femme fatale in “Gangster Squad.” Also confounding matters is Fanning’s upcoming film “Effie” in which she will portray the titular teenage bride of 19th century art critic John Ruskin. That one is a costume drama, so hopefully the roles will be distinguishable. Still, she will twice play the scandalous young lover of an older man involved in the arts.
“The Last of Robin Hood” was written and will be directed, when filming starts in February, by “Quinceanara” filmmakers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.