There was a time when London’s by-now infamous West End was considered notorious for high-end crime and gangs. Of all the amoral, double-faced criminals to rule the roost in the English capital, perhaps one of the most prominent was Ronald and Reginald Kray, the hardboiled twin brothers who governed the city’s criminal underbelly right up until the moment they were sentence to life in prison in 1969.
It’s a defining rise and fall that formed the backbone of John Pearson’s acclaimed novel The Progression Of Violence, and one that will be brought to the silver screen in Brian Helgeland’s soon-to-be-released crime drama, Legend.
With Mad Max: Fury Road star Tom Hardy on board to play both Ronald and Reginald Kray, the based-on-real-events flick has been garnering a lot of attention for the dual performance, and it’s one that takes center stage in today’s brand new red band clip. What the footage also does a good job of showcasing is just how different the Kray twins really were – allowing Hardy to leverage his performance between the two – which should make for a fascinating watch.
Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Chazz Palminteri, Tara Fitzgerald, and Taron Egerton complete the cast call for Helgeland’s Legend, though with Tom Hardy technically appearing twice in the credits, the actor will be shouldering much of the film – for better or worse.
Brian Helgeland’s Legend has already opened in the United Kingdom, with a planned release for North America on November 20. To get the early scope of how Tom Hardy’s dual performance holds up, check out our own thoughts coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival.
