Tagline: The end of an empire. The beginning of a legend.
As the Roman empire crumbles, young Romulus Augustus (Thomas Sangster) flees the city and embarks on a perilous voyage to Britain to track down a legion of supporters.
The Last Legion is a 2007 movie directed by Doug Lefler. It is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. It stars Colin Firth along with Sir Ben Kingsley and Aishwarya Rai, and premiered in Abu Dhabi on April 6, 2007.
Aishwarya Rai plays the role of Mira in The Last Legion, directed by Doug Lefler. The movie also stars Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, Kevin McKidd, Thomas Sangster. The movie was shot in Tunisia and Slovakia. The movie is an epic drama set during the end of the Roman Empire.
The film is loosely inspired by the events of 5th century European history, notably the collapse of the Western Roman Empire under its last emperor, Romulus Augustus. This is coupled with other facts from the history of Britain and fantastic elements from the legend of King Arthur to provide a historical basis for the Arthurian legend.
The film begins shortly before the coronation of Romulus as emperor in 470. His father, Orestes, is the commanding general of the Roman army. Odoacer, leader of the barbarian foederati army, makes certain demands on Orestes the night prior to coronation, which Orestes rebuffs.
On the day of the coronation, Rome is attacked by the barbarians, Orestes is killed, and Romulus is exiled to Capri along with his shamanistic advisor Ambrosinus. While on Capri he finds and acquires the mythical sword Excalibur.
Romulus is rescued from Capri by the loyal general Aurelius and some surviving legions, accompanied by a black-clad Byzantine warrior named Mira. They seek the help of the Byzantines, but learn that the Byzantines have betrayed them and sided with Odoacer. Romulus and Aurelius choose to seek refuge in Britain, where the Ninth Legion remains loyal.
Production notes provided by The Weinstein Company.
The Last Legion
Starring: Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai, Thomas Sangster, Rupert Friend, Peter Mullan, Rory James
Directed by: Doug Lefler
Screenplay by: David Leland
Release Date: August 24th, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence.
Studio: MGM, The Weinstein Company
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $388,390 (100.0%)
Foreign: —
Total: $388,390 (Worldwide)