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Last Duel: Adam Driver in Talks to Star in Ridley Scott's Latest
Adam Driver is in talks to join Matt Damon in the cast of Ridley Scott’s medieval epic The Last Duel. Fans recently got their latest look at Driver as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as the film debuted its final trailer ahead of its Christmas time release. Rise of Skywalker figures to be Driver’s final film as Ren, unless something surprising happens, but it’s safe to say the actor will be just fine even though he’s finished with the Star Wars saga.
Indeed, Driver is currently garnering Oscar buzz for another 2019 film, the comedy-drama Marriage Story, which sees him co-starring with Scarlett Johansson. Driver also headlines the buzzworthy upcoming release The Report, in which he plays real life whistleblower Daniel J. Jones. The actor has also lined up a role in auteur Leos Carax’s Annette alongside Marion Cotillard.
As reported by Variety, Driver may also be adding Scott’s new directorial effort The Last Duel to his already loaded dance card. Damon was previously announced as one of the movie’s leads, and Driver is currently in talks for the other lead role in the Disney-Fox production. Ben Affleck and Emmy-winning Killing Eve star Jodie Comer are also in the cast in supporting roles. Set in medieval France, the film centers on a pair of knights whose bond is tested (Driver and Damon), as well as a young woman (Comer) struggling to survive in a brutal world.
The Last Duel has not yet officially been given the greenlight by Disney and Fox, but if it goes ahead it would kick off production in 2020. Reportedly, Affleck was set to star alongside his old friend Damon as one of the two leads but ultimately took a supporting role due to scheduling conflicts with the Adrien Lyne thriller Deep Water. Damon and Affleck are co-writing the script along with Nicole Holofcener. Scott of course has a long history with Fox, but is now working within the Disney empire after the big merger between the two media companies.
The Last Duel was indeed already a fairly exciting project, given Scott’s involvement and the potential pairing of Damon and Affleck, who of course won an Oscar for writing Good Will Hunting together and have been joined in movie lore ever since. The addition of Driver only adds to the sense of intrigue, and gives the movie a greater boost of star power, as Driver is currently red hot with another Star Wars movie set to hit theaters alongside a pair of starring roles in prestige films. Driver has of course already proven himself to be a hugely versatile actor with roles in big-budget movies, smaller independent dramas and even comedies like this summer’s zombie film The Dead Don’t Die. The Last Duel gives him a chance to once again wield a sword, though this time it will be made of steel instead of laser light.
