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Brian Helgeland's 2015 film Legend is a gritty crime thriller about the infamous British gangsters, Reggie and Ronald Kray. Based on a written biography, the film explores the brothers, both excellently played by Tom Hardy, their gruesome career, and crimes that ultimately landed them life imprisonment in 1969.

Tom Hardy was in for a challenging role, playing twin brothers with different personalities, often sharing scenes. However, it paid off, and he ultimately won three awards for his performance. Audiences can easily forget that the film is based on their lives as gangsters in London's criminal underworld. Their crimes, whilst dramatized for entertainment value, actually happened, and impacted countless lives in the process.

As gangsters, the twins were involved in robbery, gambling, protection rackets, and murder. Soon enough, they were socializing with...

By Fred Blosser

The conventions of the gangster movie are rigidly defined, critic Robert Warshow observed in a famous 1948 essay. At heart is the character arc of the socially deviant protagonist, whether Rico Bandello, Tony Montana, or Michael Corleone: “a steady upward progress followed by a very precipitate fall.”

In Brian Helgeland’s excellent biopic “Legend” (2015), currently playing in limited theatrical release, the twin brothers Reggie and Ronnie Kray (Tom Hardy, in a dual role) are already on the upward curve of Warshow’s character arc in the 1960s London underworld as the film begins. “Reggie was a gangster prince of the East End,” Reggie’s future wife Frances (Emily Browning) muses in voiceover. “Ronnie was a one-man mob.” In the first scene, the dapper Reggie derisively brings tea to two rumpled detectives who are staking him out, the senior of whom, Inspector Nipper Read (Christopher Eccleston), is determined to bring him down.

Deadline

Here's our first look at Tom Hardy playing twins in a new film currently in production called Legend. The period gangster movie sees Hardy step into dual roles as the infamous Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie. He looks really great as both of these characters, and it's going to be really interesting to see how he portrays each of them.

As we previously reported, the story will follow the "tortured and unique relationship between gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, the identical twin brothers infamous for their criminal exploits in London during the 1950s and 1960s." Some of the other elements that the story will tackle include "notorious gangster Jack 'the Hat' McVitie, who was murdered by Reginald in 1967 - politician Lord Boothby, and the brothers’ nemesis in the police force, DS Leonard 'Nipper' Read, who made it his life’s ambition to put the Krays behind bars."...

Above is the first look at Tom Hardy as Reggie and Ronnie Kray in director Brian Helgeland's Legend, a story tracing the tortured and unique relationship between the two brothers, infamous for their criminal exploits in London during the 1950s and 1960s. Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) penned the script, which takes in associates, rivals - such as notorious gangster Jack "the Hat" McVitie, who was murdered by Reginald in 1967 - politician Lord Boothby, and the brothers' nemesis in the police force, DS Leonard "Nipper" Read, who made it his life's ambition to put the Krays behind bars. The story is said to focus largely on the life of Reggie Kray (older by 10 minutes) as he sought to control the psychotic tendencies of his younger twin. Things are clearly moving quickly with the film, which, last we heard back in February, hadn't yet landed Hardy for the dual lead roles.

Hardy, who stars as Elton John in a forthcoming biopic, may appear in thriller by La Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland

• Tom Hardy to play Elton John

Tom Hardy is in talks to play both Kray twins in a new biopic of the notorious British mobsters, reports Screen Daily.

Described as a thriller, the film will be written and directed by La Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland. It is expected to shoot in the UK later this year.

Hardy has experience with the crime biopic, having made his name with a tour de force performance as the ultra-violent prisoner Charles Bronson in Nicolas Winding Refn's 2008 film Bronson. In 2015, the actor is also set to star as Elton John in the biopic Rocketman.

The Krays were feared yet iconic participants in the swinging sixties as owners of a West End nightclub, Esmeralda's Barn. They mixed with figures such as Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland,...

Tom Hardy is currently in talks to play UK gangster twins in a film from Working Title called Legend. The movie was written by Oscar-winning writer Brian Helgeland (La Confidential). The story will follow the "tortured and unique relationship between gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, the identical twin brothers infamous for their criminal exploits in London during the 1950s and 1960s." Some of the other elements that the story will tackle include "notorious gangster Jack 'the Hat' McVitie, who was murdered by Reginald in 1967 - politician Lord Boothby, and the brothers’ nemesis in the police force, DS Leonard 'Nipper' Read, who made it his life’s ambition to put the Krays behind bars."

The twins also owned a West End nightclub, and they mingled with several prominent entertainers including Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland, as well as with politicians. They were arrested on May 9, 1968 and were both sentenced to life in prison.

Brian Helgeland has always been more appreciated as a screenwriter than as a director, largely for his scripts for L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, but with the universal admiration for 42 last year, which he wrote and directed, perhaps his time as a helmer may soon be on the rise. Word from Screen Daily (via The Playlist) is Helgeland has recruited Tom Hardy to pull double duty as he sets out to tell the true story of twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray. The working title is Legend and it will chart the tortured and unique relationship between the two brothers, infamous for their criminal exploits in London during the 1950s and 1960s. The script takes in associates, rivals - such as notorious gangster Jack "the Hat" McVitie, who was murdered by Reginald in 1967 - politician Lord Boothby, and the brothers' nemesis in the police force, DS Leonard "Nipper" Read,...

Exclusive: Tom Hardy in talks for thriller about notorious UK gangsters, from La Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland; Working Title producing.

Working Title is the new home of a thriller about the Kray twins, written by Oscar-winning writer Brian Helgeland (La Confidential), who will also direct.

Tom Hardy is in talks to star as both brothers in Legend (working title), which will chart the tortured and unique relationship between gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, the identical twin brothers infamous for their criminal exploits in London during the 1950s and 1960s.

According to sources close to the British actor, the project is one of several The Dark Knight Rises star is considering. Currently in development, the production is aiming to shoot in the UK later this year.

Working Title, whose recent features include Rush, About Time and Berlin title The Two Faces of January, is developing and producing the project.

The script takes in associates, rivals - such...