Blanchett to join Robin Hood cast

Blanchett will star opposite Russell Crowe in the film

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett is to play Maid Marian in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, according to reports.

The 39-year-old will star opposite fellow Antipodean actor Russell Crowe in the hero's role, industry newspaper Variety said.

British actress Sienna Miller was due to play the role of Marian but left the production late last year.

The film, which had been called Nottingham, has undergone major changes and begins production in April.

Producer Brian Grazer said Blanchett was a strong match for Crowe.

"They are both highly accomplished dramatic actors who are taken seriously playing rich characters in period pieces, but each has the ability to show you fun," he said.

Production on the film, which will be shot on a $130m (£91m) budget, was due to begin last August but was postponed due to location logistics and the threat of an actors' strike.

Variety reported the movie will follow an original story about Robin of Loxley who, abandoned as a child, finds community with the common people of Nottingham.