Legend
Short description
Legend is a British crime film about twin brothers Ronald and Reginald Kray, who built a criminal empire in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s. Reggie is the shrewd businessman of the pair, while Ronnie is violent and unpredictable. Together they run nightclubs and protection rackets and carry out robberies, arson and murder, becoming tabloid celebrities whose influence reaches into respectable society. Their rise brings them into conflict with Detective Leonard "Nipper" Read, and Reggie's marriage to Frances Shea pulls him between his brother and a life away from crime.
Brian Helgeland directed and wrote the screenplay, and the film sits between his 2013 drama 42 and his 2023 film Finestkind in his directing career. Tom Hardy plays both brothers, with Emily Browning as Frances Shea, Christopher Eccleston as Nipper Read, and supporting turns from David Thewlis, Taron Egerton and Chazz Palminteri.
Made for around 30 million dollars, Legend took about 43 million dollars worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds 6.9 from roughly 223,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7 from around 4,400 votes. A critics' rating of 5.9 from 171 reviews places it below the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Tom Hardy seriously injured his ankle while filming a fight scene in a pub.
- Filming took place in London, United Kingdom.
- Upon its release in the UK in early September, “Legend” broke box office records for this season. For the first time in the history of film distribution in England, “Legend” grossed an unprecedented £5.18 million (US$8 million) in September and entered the list of the highest-grossing films in the UK.
- Several houses on the street where Francis lives have cables visible running from the ground up the side of the house. This is how cable television is connected, but it only appeared in this part of London in 1984, not in the early 1960s.
- In one scene at a road fork, a modern speed bump can be noticed behind Francis.
- When Francis leaves Reggie and talks to Ronnie, it is visible that some apartments have modern double glazing.
- In one of the film's scenes, repainted modern road markings are visible.
- When Inspector Nipper searches the alley, plastic pipes are visible on the wall of the house, leading from a condensing boiler. Such boilers did not exist at that time, and the pipes could have been made of copper, lead, or iron, but not plastic.
- After Cornell is shot and Ronnie runs out of the pub, a notice with a freephone number ('Freephone' and a number starting with '0800') can be seen next to the door. Freephone numbers only appeared in the UK in 1985.
- The film is based on the book "The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins" by John Pearson.
- The pub in the film is the historic Tuners Old Star pub in Wapping, London. Many details of the pub were altered for filming. The screen located at the top of the bar is genuine, but part of the screen had to be dismantled to accommodate larger cameras. The pub's lighting fixtures also had to be replaced, and the walls repainted. The square brewery signs in the film are also authentic.
- Members of the British indie-pop group "Thumpers", Marcus Pepperell and John Hamson Jr., appeared in cameo roles. They played members of the band performing during Duffy's first song.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
