Tom Cruise Regrets Making This Hidden Fantasy Gem by Ridley Scott: "Imagine All of It"

Tom Cruise is a winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or, three Golden Globes, and four Oscar nominations. He has starred in diverse movies such as Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, and Minority Report.

However, even the most successful actors have films they regret. In 1985, Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, cast Cruise in his epic dark fantasy film Legend.

The movie was a box office flop, panned by critics, and Cruise called working on it an experience he never wanted to repeat.

Tom Cruise Wasn't a Fan of Ridley Scott's 1985 Movie 'Legend'

Cruise spent a full year in London playing the main character of Legend, the forest wanderer Jack. However, his performance lacked emotional depth, which was just one of the film's problems.

The actor was deeply disappointed with the final movie's appearance after Scott and the studio significantly altered the original version.

Legend was originally conceived as an epic fantasy with a running time of over two hours. However, after editing, many scenes that explored character and deepened the plot were cut to create a faster pace.

Cruise felt these cuts weakened the story and diminished the emotional weight of his character's journey. This turned a potentially profound film into a visually dazzling but narratively thin spectacle.

The actor was particularly upset because, although he enjoyed the filming process, he had no idea what the final product would be like. Cruise said:

“It's stunning and gorgeous and poetic, and most of the time, I would be looking at a piece of black tape and having to imagine all of it.”

What Is 'Legend' About?

In a fairy tale land, the Lord of Darkness' treacherous servants, the goblins, commit evil deeds and terrorize the innocent inhabitants. The villain tries to capture the beautiful Princess Lili, a young, innocent girl.

Only the courageous forest wanderer, Jack, and his brave friends can rescue her and thwart the Lord of Darkness's plans to plunge the world into eternal darkness.

To do so, the hero must save the unicorn, the Guardian of Light, from the encroaching forces of evil and battle the monster from the underworld himself.

'Legend's Reputation Transformed From Dismal Failure to Cult Status

Released in 1985, Legend grossed only $16 million at the box office, falling short of its $25 million budget. At the time, critics didn't hesitate to call Legend a tasteless spectacle, deeming the plot too simple.

However, the makeup, visuals, and acting received praise, and the movie was even nominated for an Oscar in the Best Makeup category.

In the 1980s, the modern fantasy genre was still developing, and Scott was ahead of the curve as an experimenter – Legend features the atmosphere of Brothers Grimm fairy tales, the innate magic of Disney, and a touch of surrealism.

After the release of the director's cut, which restored some deleted scenes and extended the running time, it became clear that Scott had a highly original approach to the story. Today, Legend is considered a cult work and is believed to have inspired the video game The Legend of Zelda.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Legend'?

• Legend has 43% from critics and 73% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.3/10.

• On Letterboxd, Legend scored 3.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Legend'?

Legend is available to stream on Disney+.