What Do The Critics Say?

"The action kicks off nicely, with two enjoyably creepy set-pieces involving a foul-mouthed granny and a spidery ice cream man. Entertainingly trashy thriller, elevated by strong performances and some gleefully over-the-top moments. Bettany is superb as Michael." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Legion is better than it should have been due to Stewart's attempts to NOT make it into just another high concept video game existing merely to set up a franchise." Edward Douglas COMINGSOON "It's a wonderful life where every time you hear a whelp ring out, another angel gets his head blown off!" Kam Williams SLY FOX "This is as nutty as a Mad Hatter’s fruitcake. But more watchably than The Book of Eli it gives us Judgment Day in the American desert. I haven’t had more fun since Eight Legged Freaks." Nigel Andrews FINANCIAL TIMES "Anne Rice was right; angels are just as hot and just as deadly as those bloodsuckers from Twilight and True Blood. Paul Bettany has never looked sexier, looking like a tattooed, holy-rolling, Gucci model-slash-mercenary who’s come to stare sensitively into your eyes and blast all of those evil monsters literally to hell. The strangest trio of movie monsters we’ll see in all of 2010: a bloodthirsty old lady, a killer toddler, and the freakiest ice cream man in history." Jen Yamato MOVIES.COM

"I really enjoyed this stupid movie. And that's because even though it makes almost no sense for a good chunk of its running time, it moves fast, keeps the action exciting, takes out major characters with no regard for how much you may like them, and plays fast and loose with all kinds of religious thought, so it's guaranteed to offend just about anyone with an opinion on the subject. There are also some pretty cool examples of exploding guts and a Terminator-like sequel setup." Dave White MOVIES.COM "The CGI is great with angelic winged battles, lots of big guns blowing stuff up, and a scary demonic person or two. If you like biblical tales and fancy a bit of action mixed with angelic references this will be worth a rental. The main message is, have faith." Luke Edwards FMH UK "By itself, the angel angle doesn’t reinvigorate the genre, but solid performances from a strong cast, occasionally clever dialogue and, especially, compelling visuals render "Legion" a decent addition to the horror oeuvre. The final moments of "Legion" beg for a sequel. With a striking vision of an original-enough concept, Stewart deserves it." Annlee Ellingson MOVING PICTURES MAGAZINE "Despite the religious trappings, Legion is an old fashioned shoot-'em-up with satisfying gunfights, a pacey plot and barely a dull moment. A buffed-up Paul Bettany plays an angel with an Uzi in an action movie borrowing elements from "The Terminator", "Assault On Precinct 13" and just about every zombie flick ever made." David Edwards UK DAILY MIRROR

The Inside Story on The Making Of Legion Veteran producer David Lancaster first read the script of Legion, a horror movie with an apocalyptic scenario, six years ago. Lancaster, co-president of Bold Films, recalls: "I knew it had strong genre appeal, but I also knew that with the right combination of script, director and cast, it had the potential to appeal to a much larger audience." Convinced the film could be far more than a conventional fright-fest, Lancaster enlisted the help of screenwriter and visual effects wizard Scott Stewart to rewrite the script. Intrigued by the idea, Stewart re-conceived the story as a more richly-realized, character-focused piece. Stewart’s script also took a "less is more" approach to the horror elements. "The original was a more explicit, 'we’re going to show you everything', way of telling the story, as opposed to, 'we’re going to keep you in the dark for a while'. Darkness is the scariest thing. The anticipation of the scare is better than the scare itself. You want to tighten the screws all the time as a filmmaker and ratchet up the tension. My favorite scary movies are the ones that take their time to let things evolve, so you get invested in the characters and what they’re going through. Then you can really deliver the goods." While working on the story, Stewart kept what he calls "the concept of the uncanny" in mind at all times. "It comes from Freud originally. He was defining the difference between the fantastic and the scary. A dragon is fantastic. Dad standing in the middle of the kitchen with an axe is scary. Something familiar put in a context that makes no sense to us emotionally or logically is deeply unsettling. That’s the core conceit of Legion." Lancaster ("Middle of Nowhere") was so impressed by Stewart’s ambitious concept for the movie, he asked him to direct it. "Scott grasped the mythology of the story extremely well," Lancaster (whose resume includes "A Love Song for Bobbie Long" and a co-producer credit on "Bobby") says. "And he executed the rewrite in an extraordinary way. I could see that he and I shared the same vision for the piece. I didn’t care that he was a first-time feature director. I believed in every aspect of what he brought to the script as a writer, and the fact that he had accomplished so much in his visual effects work made it a really exciting gamble to take." After studying screenwriting at N.Y.U. Film School, Stewart joined Industrial Light and Magic, a division of of Lucasfilm Ltd, established by George Lucas. "It was an incredible education, almost a film school in itself," he says. "But as a filmmaker, there were things I wanted to be able to do on my own." Stewart and his friends Stu Maschwitz & Jonathan Rothbart, then went on to found The Orphanage, which was until recently, one of Hollywood’s pre-eminent visual effects houses, contributing to dozens of blockbusters including "Ironman", "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", "Night at the Museum" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". Their concept was to be able to make original films in addition to providing special effects for other movies. Legion is, in many respects, the achievement of that dream. "Having that background helped me pre-visualize Legion," says Stewart. "I storyboarded virtually every shot of the movie. Having done visual effects for big movies, I was not intimidated by the technical challenges. At the same time, coming from that world, I’m deeply suspicious of the overuse of digital effects, so I wanted to do as much practically as possible." The completed script attracted the attention of Clint Culpepper, president of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Screen Gems label. "Clint is a real showman," says Stewart. "He knows what he’s on the hunt for, and he zeroed right in on this." The filmmakers saw the apocalyptic setting of Legion as an opportunity to explore larger themes within a highly entertaining action-horror film. While the film is not religious in nature, it does use elements of familiar narratives to tell its tale. "Whether you grew up in a religious home or not, we live in a society that has religion at its core," Stewart pointed out. "The movie isn’t attempting to say anything about particular beliefs. It is about the idea of faith, using things that are familiar to us from Judeo-Christian ideology as a way to tell the story. No matter what your bent is philosophically, you can bring that to this movie." If it seems provocative: it’s what Stewart intends. "The film pushes buttons and it’s meant to push buttons. I hope it’s somewhat controversial. In the end, it’s meant to be entertaining, but I hope it’s thought provoking as well. That’s what takes it out of the realm of the standard thriller." The film’s characters represent a cross-section of America: A man on his way to a custody hearing for his child; a married couple struggling with their teenage daughter; a young woman about to have a baby she never wanted. "The characters are surrounded by a comforting normalcy," says Stewart ("Red Cliff" & "Sin City"). Scott Stewart and David Lancaster agreed from the beginning that in order for "Legion" to fulfill its potential as a character-driven action-thriller with supernatural themes, it would require an outstanding, highly committed cast. The catalyst for the action of the film is Michael, a larger-than-life figure who seems to appear out of nowhere. Paul Bettany, perhaps best known for his powerful performance as Silas in "The Da Vinci Code". The is a highly respected British actor who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company is married Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly ("A Beautiful Mind"), who has two boys: Kai Dugan (fathered by David Dugan) and Stellan (fathered by Bettany). Convincing him to play Michael seemed an audacious goal for the filmmakers. Stewart recalls: "Paul has the authority we needed, but given his pedigree, we weren’t sure he would be interested." "Scott pitched his movie better than anybody has ever pitched a movie to me before," says Bettany, who played Lord Melbourne in "The Young Victoria". "He had all kinds of visual aids. He’s a very impressive human being. There were rumors going around the set he went through Harvard and M.I.T. and Cambridge and Oxford by the time he was nineteen." The unusual thematic elements were icing on the cake for Bettany. "It’s a really slick, fast-paced movie that is in no way stupid. Traditionally Michael is the defender of mankind. He is known as the first in all heaven to bow down before mankind and he still has faith in humanity despite all the war and horror he sees. So he’s having a massive crisis of allegiance." Dennis Quaid, was cast as Bob Hansen, co-owner of the Paradise Falls diner. The two time Independent Spirit Award winner ("The Big Easy" & "Far from Heaven") was one of the first to join Bettany. Quaid has been a popular leading man for more than thirty years, winning praise for performances in projects ranging from the 1979 classic "Breaking Away" to the recent blockbuster "G.I Joe: Rise of the Cobra". But Stewart believes Quaid’s reputation as a movie star sometimes obscures his acting ability. "Because he’s been such a big star for so long, I think some people take his talent for granted. That’s a mistake. He’s incredibly entertaining to watch." Quaid was also drawn to the script’s deft mixture of high-octane thrills and serious undertones. "And at the same time, it’s very entertaining and a great action movie. Scott Stewart came up an original twist on the Biblical apocalypse." Michael has come to the diner to find Charlie, a young, pregnant waitress he believes will figure prominently in the future of humankind. "We searched long and hard for an actress to play that key character before we found Adrianne Palicki," Lancaster revealed. "Charlie is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks; she’s is pregnant, but doesn’t know who the father is, and has struggled with whether to keep her baby or give it up for adoption. Adrianne captured all of that in her performance." For Palicki, who played Tyra Collette on the critically acclaimed television drama "Friday Night Lights", the character of Charlie sealed the deal. "First and foremost, she was fantastic to play. It’s one of the best female roles in my age group that I’ve seen and to be able embody such a strong, intricate character was very satisfying. In fact, every character in this movie has a strong arc." The filmmakers were looking for a young actor who would embody honesty and integrity for the role of Jeep Hansen, Bob’s son and Charlie’s protector, when they met with Lucas Black. Black, who was was twelve years old when he first appeared as Caleb Temple in the TV series "American Gothic" and was barely a teenager when he starred opposite Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton (Best Adapted Screenplay) in "Slingblade", was drawn to the script by Jeep’s journey over the course of the film. "He starts out as someone who pretty much keeps to himself, until Michael comes along and becomes a kind of mentor," Black observes. He was also thrilled by the opportunity to work with an actor whose work he has admired for years. "Dennis Quaid is awesome. Our father and son moments really fell into place. The real relationships between the characters bring a sense of realism to all the action: and there’s tons of it." The Biblical themes were very familiar to Black, who was raised a Southern Baptist in Alabama. "There’s some deep stuff in this movie. Scott has put a really interesting twist on it that I think is going to interest a lot of people and create a lot of buzz." Bob’s partner in the diner, Percy, is played by three time Emmy ® Award winner Charles S Dutton (2000, '02 & '03). "He grasped the concept immediately," says Lancaster. "Charles was able to speak very fluently about the fact that his character reads and studies the Bible. He responded strongly to the fact that a person of faith could identify with this movie." "It’s also a good old-fashioned horror film," Dutton ("Gothika") says. "We’re trying to scare the hell out of audiences. I call it a three pronged joy ride. It’ scary, it’s funny and it gives you something to think about." Willa Holland, who played Kaitlin Cooper in the "The O.C.", was cast as Audrey. Holland confesses she has never seen a horror movie. "I’m deathly afraid of seeing scary movies. I get too freaked out. But I’m going to go to the theatre for this one just to watch people’s reactions." Grammy ® Award winner Tyrese Gibson was cast as Kyle Williams, a divorced father trying to get to Los Angeles for a custody hearing. "Tyrese brings a clearly defined, through-line to his work," says Lancaster. "He’s such a wonderful actor with so much presence that you just can’t take your eyes off of him. When he’s on screen, he fills it up." Michael’s nemesis in "Legion" is also his brother: the archangel Gabriel who is played by one-time ballet dancer and actor, Kevin Durand ("3:10 to Yuma"). "We wanted somebody who could hold his own with Paul Bettany, who’s an imposing actor," Stewart said. At 190cm (six foot six on the old scale) Durand makes an imposing figure. "Paul and I played it like we were brothers who were always vying for the attention and love of their father," says Durand. What's It All About?

A dusty diner in the Mojave Desert becomes ground zero for earth’s final showdown. As mankind destroys itself in a savage fury, a small group of people trapped on the edge of nowhere prepare to make a last stand, with the help of a mysterious and powerful stranger. Unaware of the chaos unfolding around the globe, Bob Hansen, the owner of a remote roadside café, and his partner Percy go about business as usual. The restaurant’s beautiful and very pregnant waitress, Charlie, serves breakfast to Sandra and Howard, a well-heeled suburban couple and their teenage daughter Audrey, as they wait for their car to be repaired by Bob’s son, Jeep. When the television goes on the fritz and the phones go out, the group realizes they have lost all communication with the outside world. As they attempt to make sense of what’s happening. An earthquake? A terrorist attack? The world is about to find itself in a waking nightmare for the last remnants of mankind, as rolling caravans of crazed killers arrive in search of fresh victims.

The Verdict "An interesting twist on the role of two of the heavenly big guns: the archangels Gabriel and Michael. The setting for this final confrontation is the cleverly named Paradise Falls Diner. Here, ready to drop Charlie: the diner's knocked up waitress; becomes the focus of two archangels on a mission. One is hell bent on destroying her and fulfilling God's plan, while the other is hell bent on protecting her so she can give birth to a child who is destined to give all mankind a leg up. Those who are unlucky enough to be in the Diner, are blissfully unaware that they will soon be engaged in one heck of a battle. Having already had the shit scared out of them by a demonic Granny who climbs walls and runs across the ceiling, their nerves are jangled. When Michael turns up at the dusty, desert location, in a car which boasts a boot filled with enough weaponry to make an army of Iraqi insurgents deliriously happy, there is a chance (albeit a slim one) they'll survive. While some may find it all a little in comprehensible, there is plenty in the film to keep you entertained including a powerful showdown between Gabriel and Michael. The creatureFX, CGI, the massive firepower and the action scenes make "Legion" a lot better than you would probably expect. Can mankind survive, or is all hope finally lost? An apocalyptic action drama that plays well with its "Book Of Revelation" and other biblical themes relating to the 'end days'. 3 1/2 STARS." The Production Team

Director Writters Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editor Casting Production Design Set Decoration Costume Design

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Scott Stewart Peter Schink and Scott Stewart David Lancaster & Michel Litvak John Frizzell John Lindley Steven Kemper Rick Montgomery Jeff Higinbotham Gabrielle Petrissans Wendy Partridge

Who Is Playing Who?

Paul Bettany Lucas Black Tyrese Gibson Adrianne Palicki Kevin Durand Jon Tenney Willa Holland Kate Walsh Charles S. Dutton Dennis Quaid Jeanette Miller Cameron Harlow Doug Jones Josh Stamberg Yancey Arias

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Michael Jeep Kyle Williams Charlie Gabriel Howard Anderson Audrey Anderson Sandra Anderson Percy Walker Bob Gladys Foster Minivan Boy Ice Cream Man Burton Estevez

Run Time 100 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 The Movie Pages & impact Internet Services. All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian and International Copyright. Trademark Laws and Intellectual Property Rights apply.