The Last Duel UK release date, age rating and parents guide

In The Last Duel you’ve got Ridley Scott in the director’s chair and Adam Driver in front of the camera, so this was always going to be a dark film and with the UK release date coming up (details below) we’ll get to see how it all comes together soon enough. You can read more about the plot and get the latest on the age rating in our parents guide below, as well as who plays who in the cast, and the runtime.

The film is a dramatisation of the last officially sanctioned trial by combat duel ever fought in France. It’s set in the 14th century, so the country was still controlled by the monarchy, which sets the scene for a Francia-style knights tale with what looks like a very realistic depiction of the brutal series of events that took place during this infamous turning point in French history.

The combatants were Sir Jean de Carrouges, a knight and feudal tenant of the Count of Alençon, and his neighbour, squire and former best friend Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver). De Carrouges charged Le Gris with rape on behalf of his wife Marguerite de Thibouville and while the duel is initially called off by the count, the knight petitions the royal court of King Charles VI to sanction it, which he consents to.

Cast

In addition to Adam Driver as Jacques Le Gris, The Last Knight also stars Matt Damon as de Carrouges and Jodie Comer as his wife Marguerite, who also features in another big release this year with her role as Molotov Girl in Free Guy. They’re joined by Ben Affleck as the Count of Alençon and Alex Lawther as King Charles VI.

We’ll update you with more details about the cast as they’re confirmed.

The Last Duel UK release date

The historic drama has been given an official UK release date of Friday the 15th October 2021, following on from its premier at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021. It’s due to come out in the US on the same date, but with the film festival debut, there’s bound to be plenty of plot details to avoid in reviews already.

It will be out in the UK on the same date as Never Gonna Snow Again and Ron’s Gone Wrong, so you might think that the Ridley Scott film has got an easy route to the number 1 spot in the UK box office charts. However, it will also compete with Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage, which will release on the big screen over here a week earlier, so it’s going to be tough, especially with the higher age rating.

Following the mid-autumn release, it should then come out on DVD, Blu-ray and digital in the UK around February 2022. However, as a 20th Century Fox film, it is likely to arrive on Disney + shortly after it’s debut on the big screen.

You can follow us on Twitter to see news and updates on upcoming films, and you can see more on the film in the run up to the release with the official 20th Century Fox Twitter page at twitter.com/20thcentury.

Age rating and parents guide

The Last Duel UK age rating has now been confirmed by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) with the release date just around the corner. The British certification is higher than expected as an 18, so clearly this is going to be dark to say the least.

As the film is set in medieval France and depicts the final officially recognised duel to the death, the parents guide notes include strong bloody violence, which will have pushed up the age rating. The plot centres on a sexual offence allegation, so this will have impacted it too with the BBFC citing sexual violence in its notes. No matter how this is treated in the plot, it acts as an important reminder of the need for more respect for woman across all areas of society.

We’ll update you with more details on the film as they get confirmed. You can also check out our movie news section to keep tabs on the latest upcoming films, or visit the 20th Century Fox website at www.20thcenturystudios.com.

Runtime

The Last Duel has been confirmed for a runtime of 2 hours 32 minutes, so it’s on the lengthy side of the spectrum.