The Last Duel has always been a film about competing versions of the same story. Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon adapted Eric Jager’s 2004 book into three separate chapters, and Ridley Scott directed the medieval drama. But the production itself had its own high-stakes timeline, moving from French castles to Irish locations before a pandemic changed everything.
Every studio waited for Disney to blink
Walt Disney Studios held the rights after the Disney–Fox merger, and it was unknown if the company would produce the film owing to its subject matter. Deadline Hollywood reported that every studio in town was waiting in the wings should Disney sell.
The French shoot began on Valentine’s Day
Filming began on February 14, 2020, in Dordogne, France, and continued until March 12, 2020, in the medieval castle of Berzé-le-Châtel, near Mâcon, Burgundy. The castle shoot carried a crew of 300 people including 100 extras.
An 11th-century abbey joined the schedule
Several scenes were also shot at the 11th-century Cistercian Abbaye de Fontfroide in Narbonne, Aude, France. It joined a French shoot that had already used Dordogne and the castle of Berzé-le-Châtel.
Ireland was next on the schedule
Filming was to have taken place in Ireland, using Bective Abbey, County Meath and Cahir Castle, County Tipperary. Various locations across Dublin and County Wicklow were planned for March 23 to March 30, 2020.
COVID shut it down on March 13
On March 13, 2020, Disney announced that the studio had to delay the shoot indefinitely amid concerns for the cast and crew. COVID-19 and travel restrictions in Europe were the reasons.
Cameras rolled again in late September
Filming resumed in late September 2020, after the indefinite delay. Production concluded in Ireland on October 14, 2020, finally closing the interrupted schedule.
The release was pushed back a full year
The Last Duel was originally scheduled to begin a limited theatrical release on December 25, 2020, before its wide release on January 8, 2021. The pandemic pushed the date back a year to October 15, 2021, after its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 10, 2021.
The opening weekend underperformed
The film opened to $4.8 million in the United States and Canada, finishing fifth at the box office and marking the worst opening of Scott’s career. Its worldwide total reached $30.6 million, from $10.9 million in the United States and Canada and $19.7 million in other territories.
Streaming became the film’s second act
The film played exclusively in theaters for 45 days before it headed to digital platforms. It was released on digital platforms and premium video-on-demand on November 30, 2021, and reached HBO Max on January 14, 2022. JustWatch ranked it the second most watched film across all platforms in the United States during the week ending January 16, 2022.
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Facts from Wikipedia: The Last Duel (2021 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
