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Release:
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2003, 20th Century Fox
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Starring:
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Sean Connery, Peta Wilson, Stuart Townsend
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Director:
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Stephen Norrington
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Genre:
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Action/Science Fiction
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Opens:
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July 11, 2003
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The Story
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Although The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is yet another comic book adaptation, its atypical premise is surprisingly innovative: set in a Victorian Age world, characters from classic science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels are united in a single story to team up and battle the forces of evil. The notion is even more interesting when you consider that most of the League's members are, in fact, evil themselves.
In the film version, seven such literary icons become unlikely heroes. Sean Connery heads up the ensemble cast, and Blade's Stephen Norrington directs the blockbuster action adventure.
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An Introduction to the League
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Commentary by Andrew Manning
Here are the major players you'll be introduced to in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen...
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Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery)
In various novels by Henry Rider Haggard, Quatermain is an Indiana Jones sort of adventurer who hacks his way through exotic terrain and far-off lands. In The League, he is an arrogant and disenchanted hunter who assumes leadership of the group.
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Mina Harker (Peta Wilson)
In Bram Stoker's genre-defining novel Dracula, Mina Harker was the woman whom Dracula obsessed over (Winona Ryder's character in 1992's film version). In The League, she is a lethal vixen with the strength, agility, and powers of the vampire, but without the uncontrollable urge to feed on blood. Look for Peta Wilson's rendition of Mina to be one of the movie's cooler characters.
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Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend)
In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian was a vain young man who wished that a painting of himself would grow old in his place, and that he would remain forever young. The wish came true, and only by looking at the portrait could someone see his true nature, which was deteriorated and perverse. In The League, he is an immortal who cannot be slain by normal means. Armed with several lifetimes of experience and a soul that is devoid of guilt, he is a stone cold killing machine that cannot be stopped. Look for him to be a total badass, despite the prissy fashion sense.
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Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng)
In Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Henry Jekyll was a brilliant scientist who sought to understand and control the evil in the hearts of men. Using himself as a guinea pig, the doctor unwittingly unleashed his own inner demon in the form of Mr. Hyde, a savage beast with an appetite for destruction. In The League, Jekyll's role is to transform into the unpredictable monster when there is need for mad carnage.
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The Invisible Man (Tony Curran)
In H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man, a mysterious scientist who can render himself invisible becomes a cautionary tale of what man will do when faced with sudden power. In The League, this ultimately unethical character becomes a rogue responsible for snooping, sneaking, and lurking.
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Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah)
In Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Captain Nemo and his crew went on fantastic voyages aboard his ship, the Nautilus. In The League, he is a scientist and engineer responsible for the team's gadgets, rides, and weaponry.
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Agent Tom Sawyer (Shane West)
In various stories by Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer was a resourceful young man with an eye for adventure. In The League, he is a U.S. Secret Service agent who acts more as an outside observer than a loyal part of the team.
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