The Last Duel, the latest film from director Ridley Scott, may have won critical acclaim, with the historical drama now sitting at 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a very respectable 81 percent Audience Score, but the picture tanked at the box office. Even the film's star power — performances by Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer, as well as a script written by Damon and Ben Affleck – wasn't enough to make it a box office success. Now, Scott is speaking out about the film's dismal reception, blaming it directly on a certain demographic: millennials, who, he claims, would rather play on their phones than see a movie.
Scott remarked that Disney, which owns 20th Century Studios, which distributed The Last Duel, did an excellent job advertising the picture during an interview on the WTF Podcast (via ScreenRant). The issue for him was the audience and what he perceived as a dependency on cell phones.
"Disney did a fantastic promotion job. The bosses loved the movie because I was concerned it was not for them,” the legendary filmmaker said. “I think what it boils down to – what we've got today [are] the audiences who were brought up on these f-cking cell phones. The millennian [who] do not ever want to be taught anything unless you told it on the cell phone. This is a broad stroke, but I think we're dealing with it right now with Facebook. This is a misdirection that has happened where it's given the wrong kind of confidence to this latest generation, I think.”
Realistically, The Last Duel's poor box office result is likely due to several factors. The COVID-19 epidemic is a major factor to consider since the box office has just recently begun to recover, but there are other general patterns to consider. Blockbusters in genres such as superhero, sci-fi, and horror, as well as films from established franchises, have been the primary attractions at the box office recently. None of those genres apply to The Last Duel. Furthermore, The Last Duel debuted in October, a month already jam-packed with highly anticipated films such as Dune and Marvel’s The Externals. All of those reasons must be considered as elements to The Last Duel's box office difficulties, and Scott appears to recognize that his remarks aren't exhaustive.
Scott's comments, on the other hand, fit within a bigger discourse about movies and Hollywood trends, particularly in terms of how specific sorts of films are reaching consumers. While superhero and blockbuster films continue to dominate the box office, films like The Last Duel, which are more thought-provoking and sophisticated, are increasingly making their way to streaming services. It's worth mentioning that most streaming services offer applications that allow customers to watch video on their mobile devices as well.
Despite, the disappointing box office of The Last Duel, the director has no regrets and will always stand behind the film. "That's the call you make," Scott said. "That's the call Fox made. We all thought it was a terrific script. And we made it. You can't win all the time. I've never had one regret on any movie I've ever made. Nothing. I learned very early on to be your own critic. The only thing you should really have an opinion on is what you just did. Walk away. Make sure you're happy. And don't look back. That's me."
Comments