British actor to play both Ronnie and Reggie in new film about the East End gangsters by LA Confidential screenwriter

The Hollywood star Tom Hardy has confirmed he will play both Kray twins in a new film about the East End gangsters.The 36-year-old British actor said on Friday he was definitely on board with the project, which will be called Legend.

The Inception and Batman star will take on the task of playing both Ronnie and Reggie Kray and says it is a challenge he relishes.

"It's another experiment and I'm really looking forward to it," he said.

The film will be written and directed by LA Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland. It is expected to shoot in the UK later this year. A biopic on the twins, who were finally arrested in May 1968, and both convicted and jailed the following year, was made in 1990 and starred Gary and Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet as the gangsters.

Hardy, who visited Birmingham this week to attend the premiere of his new film Locke, sees similarities between the two projects. "We certainly didn't put any pressure on ourselves with Locke and think 'this has got to be the greatest thing' and it's done really well. Like most things, it is a case of taking on a challenge, not beating yourself up about it too much, enjoying it and seeing what happens."