Guide Note

Legend is a fantasy film released in 1986. The plot involves a powerful demon's plan to dominate a fantasy world, and the young boy who sets out to defeat him. It was known for its dream-like visual techniques that were used to highlight to fantastical storyline. Despite poor commercial performance, the film developed a cult following about it.

Fast Facts

1. Director: Ridley Scott
2. Starring: Tim Curry, Mia Sara, Tom Cruise
3. Release Date: April 18, 1986
4. Running Time: 99 minutes
5. Rating: PG
6. Budget: $30 million
7. Earned: $15.5 million
8. Tagline: "This is such stuff as dreams are made of. This is Legend."
9. Music originally composed by Jerry Goldsmith, later replaced
10. Was filmed on the same stage as many movies in the James Bond series

Legend is set in a nonspecific fantasy world where a powerful demon, the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry), seeks to secure his eternal power by killing the last of a race of unicorns and marrying a fairy princess (Mia Sara). It is up to a young forest lad named Jack O' the Green (Tom Cruise) must get help from his elven friends to save the princess and defeat the demon.

Though filmed in the famed Pinewood Studios, where many James Bond movies were filmed, the stages burned to the ground during the production of Legend. As a result, the producers had to finish filming on hastily-constructed sets. Then, during preliminary screenings test audiences reviewed the film poorly which led to a number of changes. The music, originally composed by Jerry Goldsmith, was replaced by music from Tangerine Dream, members of Yes, and Bryan Ferry. As well, the movie's length was cut from over two hours down to 99 minutes.