‘Legend’ Trailer: Tom Hardy Doubles Up as ‘60s Gangster Twins

You know what’s better than Tom Hardy? Two Tom Hardys for the price of one. That’s what we get in the first trailer for 1960s gangster drama Legend, from the Academy Award-winning writer of L.A. Confidential, lending it a little extra cred for good measure — as if two Tom Hardys wasn’t enough for you.

Legend looks to explore similar tonal and atmospheric territory as L.A. Confidential. It’s cool and stylish and smoke-filled and dramatic. In the film from writer Brian Helgeland, Hardy plays real-life twin gangsters Reginald and Ronald Kray, though Hardy looks nothing like a Reginald or a Ronald, so this might be the biggest acting challenge of his life so far.

The film follows the Kray brothers as they build their criminal enterprise, but the usual stuff threatens their grasp over ‘60s London: violent competition, precarious business, and a young lady, played by the lovely Emily Browning.

From Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) and Working Title (The Theory of Everything) comes the true story of the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, Reggie and Ron Kray, both portrayed by Tom Hardy in an amazing double performance.

Together, the Kray brothers take over the city. But as their reign expands, power-struggles, fierce madness, and a woman weakens their bond – the weak link that could cause their empire to collapse. LEGEND takes us into the secret history of the 1960s and the extraordinary events that secured the infamy of the Kray twins.

Legend also stars Christopher Eccleston, David Thewlis, Taron Egerton and Chazz Palminteri, and arrives in U.K. theaters on September 11. There’s no official U.S. release date yet, but we’ll probably see it pop up over here in the fall.