The Last Duel - What We Know So Far

Since hitting Tinseltown's director's A-list with boldly stylized blockbusters like 1979's "Alien" and 1982's "Blade Runner," Ridley Scott has become one of the most prolific and renowned filmmakers in movie history. He's done so by delivering a near-constant stream of artistically ambitious and commercially successful films that are arguably rivaled only by contemporaries like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron ... though he's rarely talked about with quite as much reverence. 

Nonetheless, for the minions of Ridley Scott fans in the world, a new film from the master is a legitimate cinematic event. It's safe to say those fans' appetites will be sated and then some in the coming years, with the director set to deliver not only a sequel to 2000's "Gladiator," but a pair of fascinating projects based on actual events. And even as one of those projects — Scott's Lady Gaga-fronted thriller "House of Gucci" — is currently in the spotlight due to a touch of controversy (via E! Online), the filmmaker's other high profile project — the long-delayed historical drama "The Last Duel" — is every bit as worthy of your attention.

As it is, "The Last Duel" is still flying a touch under the radar, so there's not a ton of information about it out there just yet. A handful of intriguing nuggets have actually made their way into the world of late though, so here's a look at everything we know so far about "The Last Duel." 

First, the bad news. Which is that production on "The Last Duel" actually began in Europe way back in the early days of 2020, with Disney bosses tabbing the historical drama for a holiday season release (per CinemaBlend). That didn't happen, of course, as production on the film was halted soon after it began due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (via Variety). Now for the good news, which is that Scott and his "The Last Duel" team got back in the proverbial production saddle prior to 2020's end (according to Meath Chronicle), and managed to get their movie in the can soon after.

With Scott currently well into production on "House of Gucci," it's a safe enough assumption that much of the post-production work on "The Last Duel" has been completed. That's a good thing as the film's new release date is rapidly approaching, with "The Last Duel" officially eyeing a Fall 2021 premiere. And if you're looking to pencil that premiere day into your calendar, October 15, 2021, is the date to mark.       

Oddly enough, Fall 2021 will legitimately be primetime for Ridley Scott fans as "The Last Duel" will dawn over a month ahead of "House of Gucci," which is slated to drop on November 24. That'll be great news for Adam Driver fans too, as the absurdly in-demand "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" actor will be front and center for both projects. Though "The Last Duel" doesn't quite feature the star power of a Lady Gaga, Driver will still be trading lines in the film with a no less impressive cast.

Chief among that cast are Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, with "The Last Duel" marking the 10th time the pair will be appearing in a movie together. It'll also see Damon and Affleck sharing a co-writing credit for the first time since winning an Academy Award for "Good Will Hunting," though this time around the pair is also sharing credit with indie auteur Nicole Holofcener ("Enough Said"). Joining Driver, Damon, and Affleck in "The Last Duel" is "Killing Eve" breakout Jodie Comer, who's no doubt looking to bolster an already impressive small-screen career with a legit big-screen breakout. 

With the when's and who's of "The Last Duel" fully covered, you're probably wondering what the heck Ridley Scott's new movie is about. And as it is, "The Last Duel" will indeed see Scott returning to the very same subject matter as his feature film debut, 1977's "The Duellists." That film was set in Franc circa the 1800s and found Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine portraying French militarists who engage in several duels throughout the reign and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.

"The Last Duel" will presumably feature only one fateful face-off, with Scott and company transporting the action to the 14th century and pitting Damon's noble knight Jean de Carrouges against his own squire, Driver's Jaques Le Gris, in a fight to the death. That fight is decreed by Affleck's King after Carrouges makes the claim that the young squire raped his wife, Jodie Comer's Marguerite de Carrouges. As noted in Eric Jager's lauded book "The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France" (from which the movie was adapted), the pair's entanglement was the last officially recognized judicial duel conducted in France (per Strand Book Store). There's presumably a lot more to that story than just one daring duel, and we cannot wait to see how Scott and "The Last Duel" team bring that story together.