About

Legendary Entertainment is a private independent motion picture production company based in Burbank, California. It was founded by CEO Thomas Tull in 2000. While Tull owns a majority of the studio, Accel Partners, Fidelity Investments, Fortress Investment Group and Waddell & Reed (20%) hold part-ownership. It currently has four divisions: Legendary Pictures (motion picture), Legendary East (Global film production), Legendary Television and Digital Media (Television) and Legendary Comics. Legendary Pictures produces high-budget films which fall under the genre of action, science-fiction, and graphic novel screen adaptations.

Clients

Although actors and writers are an integral part of a film, Tull considers directors to be the foundation of the entire project. Legendary is extremely director-focused and strives to work with the most qualified for each project. Some past directors include:

Christopher Nolan: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and Interstellar— a science-fiction film currently in production.

Zack Snyder: 300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch, Man of Steel

Spike Jonze: Where the Wild Things Are

Todd Phillips: Hangover, Hangover Part II, Hangover Part III, Due Date

Ben Affleck: The Town

Filmography of Released Pictures

• Batman Begins (2005)

• Superman Returns (2006)

• Lady in the Water (2006)

• The Ant Bully (2006)

• Beerfest (2006)

• 300 (2006)

• We Are Marshall (2006)

• Trick ‘r Treat (2007)

• 10,000 BC (2008)

• The Dark Knight (2008)

• Watchmen (2009)

• Observe and Report (2009)

• Under the Hood (2009)

• Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)

• The Hangover (2009)

• Ninja Assassin (2009)

Deal with Universal

Commencing in 2005, Legendary and Warner Bros. formed a partnership that enabled both production companies to produce and co-finance 45 films together for the duration of eight years. The partnership expired in 2013 and since then Legendary has formed a similar partnership with Universal Pictures that expands Legendary’s promotional rights to Universal’s theme parks. Their first film together, Dracula Untold, is scheduled to release in 2014.

China

In May 2013 Legendary signed a deal with China Film Group, China’s state-owned film production studio, to co-produce films for the global market. This is the first time that Legendary has made a deal with an international film company. Because all films are going to be co-produced with a Chinese film company, Legendary is able to work around the strict limitations placed on the number of foreign films allowed each year in China’s theaters.

Logo

The representative Legendary logo is derived from a Celtic “Shield Knot.” It is created from a continuous line that means eternity, fidelity and unity. Its origins can be traced back to 5,000 B.C. Ireland where the ancient Celts believed the Shield Knot to be a symbol of strength. Further more, they believed the shield protected and brought power to those who wore it.
 

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