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The Legends (known as Las Leyendas in Latin America) is an animated adventure-fantasy horror-comedy film franchise created by Ricardo Arnaiz and produced by Mexican animation studio Ánima Estudios. It is loosely based on The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame. It consists of seven films, a digital television series, and a mobile game. It centers on Leo San Juan, a heroic preteen boy who can communicate with ghosts and monsters; Teodora, a sassy and quirky preteen ghost girl with a know-it-all personality; Don Andrés, an amicable but loony old knight; Alebrije, a mild-mannered mythological creature; and Finado and Moribunda, two silent calavera children. Set in the early nineteenth century, each of the films is based upon a different Mexican legend.
The franchise began in 2007 with the release of The Legend of Nahuala, directed by creator Ricardo Arnaiz and produced by Soco Aguilar and Ricardo Arnaiz, Nahuala Producciones Cinematograficas S.de R.L. de C.V., and Puebla-based Animex Producciones. The film was later followed by The Legend of the Crying Woman in 2011, which was instead produced by Ánima Estudios due to the box office failure of the film Nikté. The Legend of the Mummies in 2014, The Legend of Chupacabras in 2016, The Legend of the Black Charro in 2018, The Legends Origin in 2022, and a seventh film, The Legend of the Chaneques, released in 2023. The franchise has also been adted into a Netflix original series, simply titled Legend Quest.
It is one of the few film franchises in Mexico, which is a rare instance within the country's domestic film industry. As such, the franchise has become widely popular within the country and often achieves successful box-office numbers, with Black Charro currently being the highest-grossing film.
Original Films[]
| Film | Director | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Legend of Nahuala | Ricardo Arnaiz | Antonio Garcci Omar Mustre |
Ricardo Arnaiz Soco Aguilar |
| 2. The Legend of the Crying Woman | Alberto Rodríguez | Jesús Gúzman Omar Mustre Ricardo Arnaiz |
Fernando de Fuentes S. José C. García de Letona |
| 3. The Legend of the Mummies | Alberto Rodríguez | Alberto Rodríguez Jesús Gúzman Dulce María Belchez Ricardo Arnaiz |
Fernando de Fuentes S. José C. García de Letona |
| 4. The Legend of Chupacabras | Alberto Rodríguez | Acan Cohen Alberto Rodríguez |
Fernando de Fuentes S. José C. García de Letona |
| 5. The Legend of the Black Charro | Alberto Rodríguez | Alberto Rodríguez David Israel |
Fernando de Fuentes S. José C. García de Letona |
| 6. The Legend of the Chaneques | Marvick Nuñéz | David Israel | Fernando de Fuentes S. José C. García de Letona |
Characters[]
Heroes[]
Main Cast[]
- Leo San Juan
- Nando San Juan
- Teodora Villavicencio
- Xóchitl Ahuactzin
- Alebrije
- Don Andrés
- Finado and Moribunda
- Evaristo
Secondary/Minor Cast[]
- Toñita San Juan
- Fray Godofredo
- Nana Dionisia
- Kika
- Doña Rosa
- Willy
- Beto
- Padre Tello
- Valentina
- Don Gaspar
- Tzulik
- Gloria
- Denisse
- Tiro and Pujo (formerly)
- Mandujano
- García
- José
- Puma
- Zubieta
- Galeana
- Juanita
- Cacomixtle
- Rupertino
- Ana
- Beatriz
- Chuy
- Eva
- Chimo
- Aniceto
- Diego
- Jimena
- Joaquín
- Witchdoctor (under deception)
Villains[]
Main Antagonists[]
- Nahuala
- Crying Woman/Yoltzin (formerly)
- Rousseau
- Merolick
- Black Charro
- Moira
- Chaneques (formerly)
Secondary/Minor Antagonists[]
- Santos Machorro (formerly)
- Villavicencio Family (formerly)
- Pecas
- Haunted House
- Haunted Dolls
- Tiro and Pujo
- Mummies of Guanajuato (formerly)
- Inmate Mummies
- Chupacabras (formerly)
- Torreblanca
- Cacomixtle (formerly)
- Resendo
- Magdalena the Caterpillar Woman
- Chuy (formerly)
- Deveriux
- Pascual
- Chuletl
- Cenobio
- Witchdoctor
Related Works[]
| Film | Type | Director | Writer | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legends Origin | Prequel | Ricardo Arnaiz | Ángel Pulido | Fernando de Fuentes S. José C. García de Letona |