Disney sets Last Duel release, pushes back The King’s Man
Amidst a new calendar that includes five mystery Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, Disney has unveiled a release date for Ridley Scott’s period drama The Last Duel led by Matt Damon (Ford v. Ferrari) for a Christmas 2020 release and has pushed back Matthew Vaughn’s prequel to his hit franchise The King’s Man seven months to a September release. (via The Hollywood Reporter)
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Based on the book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager, the novel takes place in 1386 and tells the story a Norman knight who returns from war to find his wife accusing his old friend of raping her. The story sees the French court decide the fate of the accusation with trial by combat between the pair. Comer will play the wife with Damon and Driver filling the two lead male roles. Damon and Affleck also co-wrote the script with Nicole Holofcener, the first collaboration between the pair since the Academy Award winning Good Will Hunting.
One wrinkle in the film’s development is that the script was originally acquired by Fox, now owned by Disney. It hasn’t yet been officially greenlit by the studio, and given the subject matter it remains to be seen if Disney will follow-through with the feature film and release it under their 20th Century Fox banner or if they will pass on the project altogether. It was previously reported that other studios are eager to snatch it up should that arise.
The Last Duel would mark the second collaboration between Damon and Scott, who previously worked on The Martian together. Scott and Kevin Walsh will produce alongside Damon and Affleck. The film is set to hit theaters for a limited release on Christmas 2020 followed by a wide release on January 8, 2021.
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The upcoming sequel follows a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they gather to plot a war to wipe out millions. Now, one man must race against time to stop them. Along the way, viewers can discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in director Matthew Vaughn’s latest entry, The King’s Man.
Ralph Fiennes stars in the upcoming prequel alongside Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, with Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance.
At the end of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Eggsy married a Crown Princess of Sweden, Harry was officially back in the fold, and Tequila (Channing Tatum) joined the Kingsman. It’s unclear whether all three will return for the sequel, or if Tequila’s former Statesman partners, Ginger Ale (Halle Berry) and Champ (Jeff Bridges) will come back as well.
Originally titled The Great Game, the Kingsman prequel The King’s Man will hit theaters on September 18, 2020.
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