Tom Cruise, one of the highest-grossing Hollywood actors with a worldwide collection of $11B for his movies, has encountered only one box office bomb in his career. Years before he made Gladiator, Ridley Scott aimed to bring to life a ‘once upon a time’ story, which materialized into the 1985 film Legend. The epic fantasy movie fell short of collecting its budget causing a loss of nearly $1M for the Studio.
The 61-year-old actor was reportedly not pleased with the outcome of the theatrical version and has since refused to talk about it. However, the Mission Impossible actor holds a favorable view of Ridley Scott’s original version and promotes the director’s cut to fans.
A Few Mistakes Cost The Tom Cruise Movie Big Time
In Legend, Tom Cruise portrayed Jack, the protagonist who must save the world from the Lord of Darkness. Mia Sara, in her debut performance, starred as Princess Lili, while Tim Curry received critical acclaim for playing the Lord of Darkness, with special praises for his makeup. Despite these performances, the film disappointed theatrically, as audiences struggled to connect with the plot of the movie.
Ridley Scott‘s aspiration to create visual magic was challenged by the audience’s unfamiliarity with the dark fantasy genre at that time. The amalgamation of love, fantasy, and adventure themes also failed to resonate with most viewers, who went in for a more straightforward fantasy movie. Although Legend had some issues with the themes explored, the film excelled in its makeup, costumes, and artistry.
However, the production also encountered setbacks in the art department when a forest set supposed to be used in the final stages of filming was destroyed in a fire. Notably, Legend received Oscar and BAFTA nominations for its makeup and costumes.
Tom Cruise’s Legend Was Ruined After Studio Interfered In Editing
However, studio interference sealed the fate of the Tom Cruise movie. The film had undergone excessive editing to conform to commercial movie standards at the time. This resulted in the omission of crucial plot elements and created significant plot holes. In North America, Jerry Goldsmith’s original score for the film was also replaced with a composition by Tangerine Dream.
Tom Cruise was not happy about the fate of the movie but kept his disappointment under wraps. Unlike Cruise, director Ridley Scott fought for the release of the movie’s original version. Interestingly, upon the release of the Unrated Director’s Cut of the film, it gained recognition and acquired a cult classic status. The Director’s Cut also retained Goldsmith’s original score.
While Legend is not currently available for streaming, fans can purchase the BluRay director’s cut of the movie from Amazon.
Source: ScreenRant
