A lot of great things were going for The Last Duel, what with Ridley Scott at the helm with stars Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck attached. The film had just released last weekend, but it looks like the latest epic from Scott has flopped.
As per People, The Last Duel only saw $4.8 million on its opening weekend with the film allegedly costing $100 million to produce.
There are several factors as to why the film failed upon release. The obvious reason would be the pandemic. Though theaters are open, there is still the risk of transmission, and it looks like movie fans are more eager to watch huge spectacles like Venom 2 and Shang-Chi rather than an epic medieval drama about the last legally recognized trial by combat in history.
Some are also blaming the poor marketing push for the film, with the film’s online presence apparently dismal on the week of its release.
Despite the poor box office numbers, The Last Duel has been getting some great reviews, and a lot of special attention has been pointed at Ben Affleck, who plays a minor role in the movie.
LAST DUEL bombing is depressing stuff. I know there are many factors: it shouldn’t have been released the same exact weekend as HALLOWEEN; there’s still a pandemic; marketing hasn’t sold the film right; etc. still, this sucks.
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) October 17, 2021
Me seeing Ben Affleck in the trailer for THE LAST DUEL: lol, looks hilariously bad
Me after actually watching THE LAST DUEL: give this man an Oscar
— Katie Carter (@katiel_carter) October 15, 2021
The Last Duel fuckin whips. No one alive today is better at making movies about people on horses with swords than Ridley
— Patrick Willems (@patrickhwillems) October 15, 2021
Though The Last Duel may not have had a great start in its opening weekend, there is still a chance for the film to get word of mouth going. If anything else, it could probably gain cult status once more people can get their hands on it.
Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel is now available in theaters.
