20th Century Studios has debuted the first trailer for Ridley Scott's historical epic, The Last Duel.
Based on true events, this gripping tale of betrayal and vengeance focuses on France’s last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), two friends who become bitter rivals when Carrouges’ wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), claims to have been viciously assaulted by Le Gris.
The well-respected Norman squire denies the charges, but Marguerite refuses to stay silent, risking being burned at the stake should Le Gris emerge victorious in the inevitable trail by combat.
“I love working with Matt, so it was an added bonus to be able to work with him and Ben as both actors and as screenwriters, along with Nicole Holofcener, and I knew it would be a great result,” says Scott. “I had admired the show ‘Killing Eve’ and had been looking for the opportunity to present Jodie Comer with a challenging role. Her performance as Marguerite will make her one of the great actresses of her generation.”
The Last Duel is based on Eric Jager’s book The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France, which brings the turbulent Middle Ages to life in striking detail. When etiquette, social aspirations and justice were driven by the codes of chivalry, the consequences for defying the institutions of the time – the Church, the nobility at court, a teenage king – could be severe. For a woman navigating these violent times, one who had no legal standing without the support of her husband, the stakes were even higher.
The Last Duel also stars Ben Affleck (Zack Snyder's Justice League) as Count Pierre d’Alençon, and is set to hit theaters on October 15.