The film will be titled The Last Duel, which Scott will also produce at Scott Free with partner Kevin Walsh. Actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will star, and are producing via their Pearl Street banner, as well as writing the script with Nicole Holofcener.
The film takes place in 14th century France and focused its dark and violent tale on Norman knight Jean de Carrouges who returns from war and learns his wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, has been raped by former friend, squire Jacques Le Gris, who denies the allegations.
No one believes de Carrouges wife for whom the paternity of her pregnancy is now in question. Following an appeal to King Charles VI in wake of a decision handed down by Count Pierre d’Anencon in favor of Le Gris, the resolve is for both men to fight a duel to the death. Should de Carrouges lose, his wife will be burned at the stake.
Fleming Jr. also brings up that the book has been in development for some time now at Fox as a hopeful feature and now Disney’s ownership of the Fox library may change things, so it’s a bit of a wait-and-see unless it changes hands.
The film reunites Affleck and Damon who’ve worked notably together on screen over the years, including in Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting, Kevin Smith’s Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and the upcoming Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Damon previously worked with Scott on Best Picture-nominated space adventure The Martian.