Legend (2015 film)

2015 film by Brian Helgeland

Legend

British theatrical release poster

Directed by| Brian Helgeland
Screenplay by| Brian Helgeland
Based on|  The Profession of Violence
by John Pearson
Produced by|

* Tim Bevan
* Eric Fellner
* Chris Clark
* Quentin Curtis
* Brian Oliver

Starring|

* Tom Hardy
* Emily Browning
* David Thewlis
* Duffy
* Christopher Eccleston
* Chazz Palminteri

Cinematography| Dick Pope
Edited by| Peter McNulty
Music by| Carter Burwell

Production
companies

* Cross Creek Pictures[1]
* StudioCanal[1]
* Working Title Films[1]
* Anton Capital Entertainment[2]

Distributed by|

* StudioCanal (International)[1]
* Universal Pictures (United States)

Release dates

* September 3, 2015 (2015-09-03) (London)
* September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09) (United Kingdom)
* November 20, 2015 (2015-11-20) (United States)
* January 20, 2016 (2016-01-20) (France)

Running time

| 131 minutes[3][4]
Countries|

* United Kingdom[5]
* France[5]
* United States[1]

Language| English
Budget| approx. $25 million
Box office| $43 million

Legend is a 2015 biographical action film written and directed by Brian Helgeland, adapted from John Pearson's book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins.[6][7] The film follows the Kray twins' career and relationship together through their convictions for murder and sentencing to life imprisonment in 1969.[8][9] Tom Hardy plays both Reggie and Ron Kray in a dual role.

The film also stars Emily Browning, David Thewlis and Christopher Eccleston, with Colin Morgan, Chazz Palminteri, Paul Bettany, Tara Fitzgerald, Taron Egerton, and Duffy in supporting roles.

An international co-production between British, French, and American companies,[5][1] Legend premiered in London on September 3, 2015, before being released in the UK by StudioCanal on September 9. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, though Tom Hardy's dual performance was widely praised, and earned him a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor.

## Plot

[edit]

In the 1960s, Reggie Kray is a former boxer who has become an important part of the criminal underground in London. His twin brother Ron is locked in a psychiatric hospital and being treated for paranoid schizophrenia. Reggie uses threats to obtain the premature release of his brother. The twins unite their efforts to control a large part of London's criminal underworld, made easier when the head of the south London Richardson Gang (a.k.a. the Torture Gang) is imprisoned. One of their first efforts is to muscle in on the control of a local nightclub, using extortion and brutal violence.

Reg enters into a relationship with Frances, his driver's sister, whom he eventually marries. When he is imprisoned for a previous criminal conviction, which he cannot evade, she makes him swear that he will leave his criminal life behind. He never honours this oath because of the allure of crime. While Reg is in prison, Ron's mental instability and violent temperament result in severe financial setbacks at the nightclub. It is almost forced to close after Ron scares away most of the customers. On the first night after Reg's release from prison, the brothers have an all-out fist fight, but they manage to patch things up, at least partially.

The reputation of the brothers has spread to the United States. They are approached by Angelo Bruno of the Philadelphia crime family who, on behalf of Meyer Lansky and the American Mafia, wants to engage them in a crime-syndicate deal. Bruno agrees to a fifty-fifty deal with Reg to split London's underground gambling profits in exchange for local protection by the brothers. Initially, this system is highly lucrative for the Kray brothers; however, Ron's paranoia and inclination towards violence causes problems for Reg's efforts to maintain control. Ron's barely concealed volatility results in his publicly murdering George Cornell, an associate of the Torture Gang. As a result, Scotland Yard opens a full investigation of the Kray brothers.

Reg's marriage with Frances crumbles owing to his addiction to crime. Unable to bear Reg's false promises to reform, Frances starts consuming prescription drugs illegally. After he beats and rapes her in a fit of rage, she leaves him. When Reg approaches her to reconcile, Frances seems to agree and they plan to visit Ibiza, but she kills herself with a drug overdose. Reg is ridden with guilt.

The twins' continue their criminal activities. Ron pays petty criminal Jack "the Hat" McVitie to kill Leslie Payne, Reg's partner, who controls the legal side of the Krays' operations, as he does not trust Payne. Jack only wounds Payne, who turns on the brothers, informing on them to Detective Superintendent Leonard "Nipper" Read, the head of the investigation.

When Reg finds out, he brutally stabs McVitie to death with a knife during a party hosted by Ron. The testimony Payne has given results in Ron being arrested and charged with Cornell's murder. A police squad breaks down the door to Reg's flat in order to apprehend him for McVitie's murder.

Both brothers received criminal convictions for murder and sentences for life imprisonment. They died five years apart, Ron from a heart attack in 1995, and Reggie from bladder cancer in 2000.

## Cast

[edit]

* Tom Hardy as Reggie Kray and Ron Kray, identical twin brothers who in the 1960s became notorious gangsters and led one of the most feared criminal organizations in the UK, known as The Firm.
* Emily Browning as Frances Shea, wife of Reggie Kray and younger sister of Frankie Shea (Reggie Kray's personal driver).
* David Thewlis as Leslie Payne, a well-known businessman and con-man who works as a business manager for the Kray Twins and The Firm.
* Christopher Eccleston as Nipper Read, the Detective Chief Superintendent of the Met's Murder Squad who led the manhunt that led to the arrest and conviction of the Kray Twins in 1969.
* Chazz Palminteri as Angelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno, a powerful Italian-American mafia boss and head of the Philadelphia crime family (one of the most powerful families in the Italian-American Mafia) who travels to London as an emissary and intermediary for Meyer Lansky (the head of National Crime Syndicate).
* Paul Anderson as Albert Donoghue, an Irish gangster, bank robber, and getaway driver who was a high-ranking member of The Firm, acting as Reggie Kray's right-hand man.
* Colin Morgan as Frankie Shea, older brother of Frances Shea and Reggie Kray's personal driver/brother-in-law.
* Mel Raido as Ian Barrie, an Anglo-Scottish gangster and getaway driver who was a high-ranking member of The Firm, acting as Ronnie Kray's right-hand man.
* Sam Spruell as Jack McVitie, a notorious English drug lord, contract killer and gangster who worked as a enforcer and hitman for The Firm.
* Tara Fitzgerald as Mrs Shea, mother of Frances and Frankie Shea and mother-in-law of Reggie Kray (who was the husband of her daughter, Frances).
* Duffy as Timi Yuro, a famous American singer who was a frequent attraction at clubs controlled by the Kray twins in London and of whom Reggie Kray is a huge fan.
* Taron Egerton as Mad Teddy Smith, an openly gay gangster and psychopath who was a member of The Firm and alleged lover of Ronnie Kray.
* Charley Palmer Rothwell as Leslie Holt, a cat burglar, antique dealer and former boxer who was Lord Boothby's chauffeur and lover.
* Kevin McNally as Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1976.
* Alex Giannini as Antonio Caponigro, the consigliere of Angelo Bruno in the Philadelphia crime family.
* John Sessions as Lord Boothby, a British Conservative politician accused of having a relationship with Ronnie Kray.

In addition, Paul Bettany makes a cameo appearance as Charlie Richardson, whose South London Richardson Gang (also known as the Torture Gang) engaged in a turf war with the Krays.

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

On 12 October 2013, it was announced that Brian Helgeland had written a script and would be directing a film focusing on the life of Reggie Kray who, with identical brother Ronald, formed the notorious Kray twins. Helgeland said the film would concentrate on Reggie's attempts to control the psychopathic tendencies of his younger twin.

Helgeland spoke of hanging out in London with well-known Krays associate Freddie Foreman, saying, "I had drinks with him in his local haunt. When we finished he got up to go and they feted him at the bar. I said to him, 'what about the bill?' and he replied, 'we don't pay.'"[10]

Helgeland attended the Cannes Film Festival with Working Title's Tim Bevan and Chris Clark to talk to potential buyers of the film and showing test footage of Hardy playing the twins.[11][12]

### Casting

[edit]

On 18 April 2014, it was announced that Helgeland would write and direct the film, with the shooting being based in the United Kingdom and with Hardy starring as the male leads.[13] Five days later, it was stated that Browning was in negotiations for a role as the film's female lead.[14] Hardy was so set on playing Ronnie Kray that he proposed to Helgeland that if he gave him the role of Ronnie, Hardy would play the role of Reggie for free.

### Filming

[edit]

Crews and cast were spotted filming scenes at Falmouth Road, London, St Anne's Limehouse in Limehouse[15] and in the Windmill Walk area around London Waterloo.[16] Filming also took place in Caradoc Street in Greenwich, in the Cedra Estate on Cazenove Road and in Gibson Gardens, both of which are in Hackney.

Principal photography started on 12 June 2014.[11][17]

## Release

[edit]

Financing for Legend was provided by StudioCanal, which also distributed in the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand and Germany in addition to handling international sales, which started at the beginning of the Cannes Film Festival.[18] On 30 April 2014, Cross Creek Pictures acquired the North American distribution rights to Legend from StudioCanal, with a planned 2015 theatrical release through Universal Pictures in its distribution deal with the studio.[19][20] Sales to other territories such as Asia, Africa and much of Europe are being completed.[21] The film was originally set for release in the US on 2 October 2015, but it was moved to 20 November 2015.[22]

The film made its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2015 at Roy Thomson Hall.[citation needed]

### Marketing

[edit]

On 13 June 2014, the first image of the film was published, featuring Hardy as the Kray twins.[6][23] A promotional poster attracted publicity because it made a two-star review from The Guardian appear to be at least a four-star review by placing the two stars between the heads of the Krays.[24][25]

### Home media

[edit]

Legend was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 25 January 2016 and in the United States on 1 March 2016.[26]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical reception

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 171 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "As a gangster biopic, Legend is deeply flawed, but as a showcase for Tom Hardy—in a dual role, no less—it just about lives up to its title."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[28]

### Box office

[edit]

Legend grossed US$28.0 million in the United Kingdom, and marked seven weeks in the Top 10 at the British box office.[29] In addition, it grossed $1.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $13.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $43.0 million,[29] against a budget shy of $25 million.[30]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref

|
|
|
|
|

2015  | British Independent Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film | Tom Hardy | Won  |
Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Tom Hardy  | Nominated  |
Las Vegas Film Critics Society  | Best Picture  |  | Nominated  |
Satellite Awards | Best Actor – Motion Picture | Tom Hardy  | Nominated  |
2016  | Empire Awards | Best British Film |  | Nominated  | [31][32]
Best Actor | Tom Hardy  | Nominated  | [31][32]
Houston Film Critics Society | Best Actor  | Tom Hardy  | Nominated  |
London Film Critics' Circle | Actor of the Year | Tom Hardy  | Nominated  | [33]
British/Irish Actor of the Year | Tom Hardy  | Won  | [33]
Saturn Awards | Best International Film |  | Nominated  | [34]
Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Tom Hardy  | Won  |
2017  | Apolo Awards | Best Actor  | Tom Hardy  | Nominated  | [35][36]

## See also

[edit]

* The Krays (1990 film)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Halligan, Fionnnuala (3 September 2015). "'Legend': Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
2. ^ "Legend (2015) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
3. ^ "LEGEND (18)". British Board of Film Classification. 30 August 2015. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
4. ^ "TIFF.net". Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
5. ^ a b c "Legend (2015)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
6. ^ a b "Tom Hardy image as Kray twins released". BBC. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
7. ^ Kemp, Stuart (12 June 2014). "First Look: Tom Hardy as Infamous London Gangster Twins (Photo)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
8. ^ "The Profession of Violence". Bloomsbury. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
9. ^ "The Profession of Violence (eBook): The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins". Waterstones. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014.
10. ^ Brevet, Brad (19 June 2014). "Tom Hardy Eyes 'Legend' for 'L.A. Confidential' Writer Brian Helgeland | Rope of Silicon". ropeofsilicon.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
11. ^ a b Tartaglione, Nancy (18 May 2014). "Cannes: Tom Hardy As Kray Twins Pic 'Legend' Firms Key Sales For Studiocanal". Deadline. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
12. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (13 May 2014). "StudioCanal readies Idris Elba, Ralph Fiennes films". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
13. ^ "Tom Hardy to play both Kray twins". The Guardian. Press Association. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
14. ^ Sneider, Jeff (23 April 2014). "Emily Browning Joining Tom Hardy and Tom Hardy in Crime Thriller 'Legend'". The Wrap. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
15. ^ "Tom Hardy and Emily Browning film Krays movie Legend in London". Radio Times. 17 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
16. ^ "Scene set for Kray twins movie in Waterloo's Roupell Street". ITV. 6 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
17. ^ "LEGEND begins shooting, first image released". Working Title Films. 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
18. ^ Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (21 May 2014). "'Magic' Sells to U.S. as 'Macbeth,' 'Legend,' 'Bastille Day' Power StudioCanal To Cannes Sales Record May 21, 2014". Variety. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
19. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (13 June 2014). "Brian Helgeland commences principal photography on Legend". StudioCanal. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
20. ^ "Cross Creek Acquires Legend's North American Rights from Studiocanal". Studiocanal. 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
21. ^ "Cannes: Tom Hardy As Kray Twins Pic 'Legend' Firms Key Sales For Studiocanal". Variety. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (16 September 2015). "Tom Hardy Krays Gangster Pic 'Legend' Moves To Pre-Thanksgiving Corridor". Deadline. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
23. ^ Trumbore, Dave (12 June 2014). "First Image of Tom Hardy and Tom Hardy as Twin Gangsters in Brian Helgeland's LEGEND". Collider. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
24. ^ Young, Alex (9 September 2015). "Poster for new Tom Hardy film Legend expertly trolls negative reviewer: Gangster film proudly flaunts its two-star rating". Retrieved 10 September 2015.
25. ^ Lee, Benjamin (9 September 2015). "How my negative review of Legend was spun into movie marketing gold". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
26. ^ "Legend DVD and Blu-ray". releases.com. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
27. ^ "Legend". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
28. ^ "Legend". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
29. ^ a b "Legend". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
30. ^ Hopewell, John (14 September 2015). "'Legend,' 'Shaun,' Smash Benchmarks for Studiocanal". Variety. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
31. ^ a b Nugent, John (18 February 2016). "Jameson Empire Awards 2016: Star Wars and Mad Max lead the nominations". Empire. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
32. ^ a b Lewis, Rebecca (18 February 2016). "Mad Max: Fury Road leads the pack at the 2016 Jameson Empire Awards". Metro. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
33. ^ a b Ruby, Jennifer (18 January 2016). "The London Critics Circle Film Awards 2016: Tom Hardy and Kate Winslet pick up trophies as Mad Max is named Best Film". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
34. ^ "The 42nd Annual Saturn Awards nominations are announced for 2016!". Saturn Awards. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
35. ^ Roures, Juan (13 January 2017). "Las mejores películas de temática LGTB del 2016: ganadores de los II Premios Apolo de cine LGTB". dosmanzanas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 January 2022.
36. ^ Roures, Juan (30 December 2016). "Las mejores películas de temática LGTB del 2016: nominaciones a los II Premios Apolo de cine LGTB". dosmanzanas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 January 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Legend at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Brian Helgeland

* Payback (1999)
* A Knight's Tale (2001)
* The Order (2003)
* 42 (2013)
* Legend (2015)
* Finestkind (2023)

* v
* t
* e

The Krays

Associates|

* Robert Boothby
* Bernie Fineman
* Freddie Foreman
* Tony Lambrianou
* David Litvinoff
* Frank Mitchell
* Wilf Pine
* Peter Rachman

Murder victims|

* George Cornell
* Jack McVitie

Police|

* Nipper Read

Locations|

* The Blind Beggar
* Esmeralda's Barn

Films|

* The Krays (1990)
* The Rise of the Krays (2015)
* Legend (2015)
* The Fall of the Krays (2016)
* The Krays' Mad Axeman (2019)

Related|

* Frankie Fraser
* Joey Pyle
* Richardson Gang

* Category

Authority control databases: National |

* United States

|

*[a.k.a.]: also known as
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template