Synopsis

In a timeless forest kingdom, a playful young man named Jack becomes entangled in a battle between light and darkness after the Lord of Darkness seeks to plunge the world into eternal night. With the aid of woodland creatures and a captive princess, Jack must recover a pair of enchanted unicorn horns before Darkness completes his scheme and claims the woman he loves.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was shot primarily at Pinewood Studios in England, with underwater footage filmed at Silver Springs in Florida.

• A fire destroyed the enormous forest set at Pinewood during production. The blaze reportedly caused about $10 million in damage and forced the filmmakers to reorganize the shooting schedule.

• The production originally ran approximately 150 minutes. It was re-edited into shorter versions, including the 94-minute international cut and the still shorter American theatrical release.

• Jerry Goldsmith composed the original orchestral score, but the American release replaced much of it with music by Tangerine Dream. The director's cut restored Goldsmith's score.

• Rob Bottin's elaborate prosthetic makeup helped make Darkness and the other supernatural beings central visual attractions. The makeup department was unusually large for its time.

• The film's visual design drew on classic animated fairy tales and the illustrations of Arthur Rackham, combining storybook imagery with a darker, more surreal atmosphere.

• Although its initial reception and box-office performance were disappointing, Legend developed a strong cult following through home video releases and later expanded editions.

• Alex Thomson's cinematography won the British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography. The film also received an Academy Award nomination for makeup.