DOLPH - the definitive guide links      

Legion

(2000-2001)


plot summary
 
Legion is a character raised at the hand of the KGB during "the most feared time in its existence." In time, he grows to disdain the organization's methods, has a moral falling out and issues an ultimatum to his superiors. The film will chronicle Legion's conversion from a guns-for-hire assassin to a guns-for-righteousness vigilante. Legion escapes from the KGB before exacting his revenge and even does a stint with the CIA. Further disillusioned, he becomes a rogue agent that offers his services to the highest bidder. Hired through a political third world political incumbent to assassinate the female leader of a rebel uprising, the film will see him won over to the rebel cause and fight against those who purchased him.


director/cast
 
Damian Lee

Director

Dolph Lundgren

Legion

Armand Assante


genre Action / Adventure
production co(s) New Cinema Partners / Stone Canyon Pictures / Lions Gate Entertainment
budget $4,3 - 6,5M
producer Damian Lee
writers Damian Lee, Dolph Lundgren
location(s) Costa Rica


news & updates
 

Written by Dolph Lundgren and Damian Lee. Produced by Damian Lee through New Cinema Partners (formerly Stone Canyon Pictures) and to be distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment. Budget: $4.5 to $6.5 million. It was to be released and marketed on Charityville and Movie Partners. The film was supposed to be adapted in a video game. A rumour also spread that the actor Armand Assante would co-star. Since the fall of New Cinema Partners, the project was then in pre-production (2001) at Moonstone Entertainment (Hidden Agenda), but Dolph felt that the project did not have enough depth.

"... the production company is called Charityville.com International Inc. These were the people who were footing my hefty bar bill. Charityville.com intends to release Dolph’s film, Legion (a film which has yet to be produced) on their website (which is currently under development)." Rob Thomas, Varsity Aarts & Culture, Tuesday, April 14, 2000

"Currently he is producing and directing Legion for Lions Gate, a $6.5 million thriller set in Costa Rica and starring Dolph Lundgren and Armand Assante[...]" from a PRNewswire press release, June 12, 2000

"An action adventure starring Dolph Lundgren. Based on a story by Damian Lee and Dolph Lundgren. A completed film script with artist attached currently in the development finace stage which the Company owns 100% of the rights as acquired from Stone Canyon Pictures." from the New cinema Parners website

"LEGION, budgeted at $5,300,000 US, is an action adventure picture starring Dolph Lundgren and based on a story by Damian Lee and Dolph Lundgren. It is anticipated that the film will be distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment, and preliminary documents with LGE have been drafted. In addition, there is also a video game and an e-comic developed with an industry front running joint partner." from Entertainment News Daily (July 24, 2000)

"Lee, one of Canada's most successful independent film producers, is also the president of Stone Canyon Pictures, the company which will produce Legion.
It will be distributed through the Lions Gate Entertainment Group. Stone Canyon Pictures announced at a press conference on March 30 in Toronto that exclusive internet rights to promote the movie had been sold to the Charityville group (soon to be renamed into Emblast). This firm will promote Legion on the net, featuring live footage, behind-the-scenes reports etc. on a website.
On July 25, director Lee announced in an interview that the movie will be made into a game as well.
At this stage, Lee would not yet name a creator for the game nor say what consumer groups are being targeted."
from an Armand Assante fansite


"
Legion, an action film starring Dolph Lundgren that will be based on a script from Lundgren and screenwriter Damian Lee, will also see life as a game. Discussing the project during a telephone interview with the Adrenaline Vault, Lee was unable to disclose who will be creating the game or which platforms will be targeted, but did announce a number of plot details that will be the basis for both the film and the game.

Distributed through Lion's Gate Entertainment, the film will set the stage for the game's action:
Legion is a character raised at the hand of the KGB during "the most feared time in its existence." In time, he grows to disdain the organization's methods, has a moral falling out and issues an ultimatum to his superiors. The powers that be, which are less than understanding about his predicament, murder his wife and children in response, something Lee claims will impart the character with considerable spiritual and emotional baggage.

"As
Legion brings down the game's material barriers, he will also experience mental and emotional growth. His pilgrimage will be a more complete manifestation of what a game world can represent. Part of the reason games are so popular is because there is an absence of coming of age rituals in modern culture. Legion will explore the connection between material challenges and personal growth," Lee explained.

Perhaps, but this will still entail a lot of gunslinging, as the film and game will chronicle Legion's conversion from a guns-for-hire assassin to a guns-for-righteousness vigilante. In both, Legion escapes from the KGB before exacting his revenge and even does a stint with the CIA. Further disillusioned, he becomes a rogue agent that offers his services to the highest bidder. Hired through a political third world political incumbent to assassinate the female leader of a rebel uprising, the film and game will see him won over to the rebel cause and fight against those who purchased him.

Additional game details will emerge as negotiations for production and publishing deals are finalized."
from an Adrenalin Vault article (July 2000)

"New Cinema Partners Inc. is pleased to announce that Damian Lee, Chairman, has reported to the Board of Directors that he has completed final negociations for the production and distribution of "Legion", a 6.5 million action/adventure film starring Dolph Lundgren. "Legion" is a co-operative creative effort between Mr. Lee and Mr. Lundgren, who co-authored the script. Mr. Lee will be directing the picture.

Lions Gate Entertainment is to be the distributor of the film and will guarantee a minimum of $1.5 million in North American presales. Overseas presales, currently under final negociations, are estimated to generate a minimum of $5 million. Mr. Lundgren's adventure films have proven to be especially lucrative in the overseas markets." from a New Cinema Partners press release, October 18, 2000

In the American Agent Red DVD's (released in April 2001 by Columbia TriStar Home Video) commentary, Damian Lee discusses Legion:

"I'm looking forward to working with Dolph again, we have another picture that we're doing, by the name of the Legion, which I'm sure wanna go numerous name changes. But in that picture, he's playing an assassin, that is hired to terminate a religious figure in the Amazon base and has become some of a female Che Gevara figure, and he's traveling [...?] back in the jungle to assassin her, which is obviously an homage to Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness". And along the way, I meant that he is with little sense of purpose, sees for a great sense of purpose and beginning to fall in love with her by virtue of her sense of purpose."

We can say that sense of purpose is indeed what lacked the most to Lundgren's character in Agent Red, but let's hear Lee again:

"I think this picture we're going to do with Dolph will be a big departure for Dolph and hopefully bring out, some of the qualities that I've mentioned (at) Dolph during this production, that is his intelligence, his ability to reflect a deeper more lyric side on film, than perhaps he has to date. He is a very literate guy and, that certainly has to say he could understanding a plot and story; and of course understands his market and what he should and should not be doing as well, I mean if you're Dolph Lundgren you are more or less Aryan poster boy, and you're not going to be in post office the guy next door, I mean he's 6'5, and striking good looks and a good physique. That's the good news, bad news..."

From Moonstone Entertainment, October 2001: "Enclosed please find the script Detention that Dolph Lundgren chose to film instead of the Legion project. Dolph felt that the Legion project did not have enough depth."

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT and MOONSTONE ENTERTAINMENT presents a NEW CINEMA PARTNERS / STONE CANYON PICTURES production a DAMIAN LEE film DOLPH LUNDGREN "LEGION" ARMAND ASSANTE produced by DAMIAN LEE written by DAMIAN LEE and DOLPH LUNDGREN directed by DAMIAN LEE 

projects links
Action In The Red Sea / Alien Agent / The Amber Room / Beowulf / Captured / Code Blue / Cover Up 2 / Dark Angel 2 / Duke Nukem / Frogs For Snakes / Inside Man Out / Interstate 10 / It Waits / Ivory City / Le Tigre / Legion / Masters Of The Universe 2 / Meltdown / Nightclubbing / The Peacekeeper 2 / Pit Bulls / The Punisher 2 / R.P.M. / Red Dawn / Red Scorpion 2 / Revenge / Rewind / Rocky VI / Running Man / Starlight Murders / Still The Drums / Straight Blast / The Threat / Trooper / Unknown Project / Vampires / Venom / Warrant / The Watchmen / Swedish Projects /

 

back to top