Russell Crowe forces Sienna Miller’s exit from Nottingham?

There’s is a of lot behind the scenes difficulties going on with “Nottingham.” Nottingham, which was supposed to start filming in March, is a revisionist version of the Robin Hood legend. Russell Crowe is to star as the sheriff of Nottingham, a noble and brave lawman whose corrupt king is raising taxes even as his subjects starve. He and Robin Hood vie for the love of Maid Marian. Supposedly Russell Crowe has made demands to producers for script rewrites, maybe a new director and now, forcing Sienna Miller out of the movie.

Miller, who was to play Maid Marian, left the movie yesterday after being “put on hold” while shooting was pushed back from February to April. The reason perhaps for the rescheduling and exit of Miller though is because Crowe, who plays both the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood, is trying to lose significant weight. One producer who said the Oscar-winner has to shed 35 pounds cracked, “We can’t have Robin Hood looking more like Friar Tuck.”

An insider tells the NY Post: “It is a mess. Russell never lost the weight he put on for ‘Body of Evidence’ – and so the love scenes between him and Sienna would have been laughable. He’s so old and fat and she’s so young and gorgeous. It’s just . . . gross.”

Word in Hollywood is that producers are “looking for an older, plumper actress to play the role so [Crowe] doesn’t look like a paunchy grandpa. Someone in her late 30s or early 40s.”

Despite studio denials, NY Post sources say Crowe is trying to get director Ridley Scott fired. Calls were made to several prominent directors over the holidays to find a replacement. “All of this was done behind Ridley’s back,” the insider said. “He has no idea.”  Scott and Crowe have a long professional relationship with the director helping the actor become a major star after casting him in “Gladiator” (2000), a role that won him the Best Actor Oscar. The New Zealander also earned critical acclaim in Scott’s “A Good Year” (2006) and “American Gangster” (2007).

A studio rep acknowledged that Miller was “released” but flatly denied “these rumors” and said, ” ‘Nottingham’ is moving ahead with Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott.”

Crowe has demanded serious script rewrites according to inside sources. “Originally the movie was about a love triangle between Maid Marian, Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. It is now all about Russell’s Robin Hood. Literally, 40 pages of script were redone and now are just devoted to him and his massive ego. It’s amazing.”