Hollywood stars Damon and Affleck rumored to be filming Ridley Scott blockbuster in Kilkenny
Two of Hollywood’s biggest superstars could be on their way to Kilkenny to not only shoot a film but to shoot each other.
Legendary director Ridley Scott is believed to be considering Kilkenny’s Kells Priory as a setting for his next film – “The Last Duel” which is being written by and starring Hollywood buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
It is understood Scott has been scooping out a couple of Office of Public Work sites in the last number of weeks with a view to filming some of the scenes which are set in 14th century France.
Ridley Scott, the director of such blockbusters as Gladiator and Alien, is understood to have visited Tintern Abbey in Wexford and Kells Priory to check their suitability for the scenes, arriving in a helicopter at both sites.
The film, which is currently in pre-planning, has a release date of January 2021 and the script is currently being finalised by Damon, Affleck and Oscar nominated writer, Nicole Holofcener.
In fact, it’s the first film since the classic “Good Will Hunting” that Damon and Affleck have written together. As actors, the two have been lined up to play the leading roles of a knight and his squire who become sworn enemies.
Funding for the project was confirmed by Fox just last month and filming could start as early as January. The film is based on the 2004 book “The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal and Trial by Combat in Medieval France,” by Eric Jager.
According to the Hollywood industry bible – The Wrap magazine: “‘The Last Duel’ is a revenge tale about a woman who claims she’s been raped by her husband’s best friend. But when no one believes her accusation, her husband challenges his friend to a duel, the last legally sanctioned duel in the country’s (France) history.”
