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Universal has hardly had time to refuel the Brinks trunk since it dumped out a pile of cash to acquire the rights to the inspiring story of displaced, soccer-playing kids from war-torn nations it hopes to one day reimagine as Kicking & Screaming II: The Fugees, but it's already emerged triumphant from another bidding war, beating out New Line and Warner Bros. for the script Nottingham by coughing up "seven figures" to its writers (the creators of recently canceled Showtime series Sleeper Cell) and betting another $20 million that mild-mannered character actor Russell Crowe (A Good Year) will shine when given a chance to finally be the center of attention of a big-budget project. The script's high-concept of "Robin Hood, but where the Sheriff of Nottingham is the good guy" is so "now why didn't I think of that and become a millionaire overnight?" simple that Imagine's Brian Grazer, who'll be superproducing for Universal, will be overheard at various cocktail parties over the next month telling transfixed conversation partners, "You know, I always felt in my gut that Nottingham was misunderstood and Robin Hood was kind of a dick, but I knew that if I waited long enough, someone would finally tap into my consciousness and put it all together."