Ridley Scott Blames ‘Millennials’ And ‘Cellphones’ For ‘The Last Duel’ Box Office Flop

Director Ridley Scott is drawing fan ire for some unsavory comments he made about “The Last Duel.”

The 2021 medieval drama first debuted in theaters on October 15, 2021. Adapted from “The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France” by Eric Jager, the movie tells a story of sexual assault told from three different perspectives.

The film revolves around Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and his best friend, Squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver). Carrouges marries a woman named Marguerite (Jodie Comer), who Le Gris covets. After Le Gris assaults her, she speaks out to confront him, which results in Carrouges and Le Gris engaging in a fight to the death.

The film also stars Ben Affleck as Count Pierre d’Alencon, Harriet Walter as Nicole de Carrouges, and Alex Lawther as King Charles VI.

Critics widely condemned the film, calling it a “wannabe #MeToo movie” that failed to deliver at the box office. Although Scott agrees that it was a box office flop, he is blaming the film’s poor performance on… millennials?

In an interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, Scott responded to the box office failure, which had a production budget of $100 million. The film made a measly $10 million at the US box office, and only $27 million globally.

When Scott first showed the film to his Disney bosses, he feared that the film “was not for them.” However, he stated that his bosses “loved the movie” and admitted that “Disney did a fantastic promotion job.”

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Ridley stated, “I think what it boils down to — what we’ve got today [are] the audiences who were brought up on these f---ing cellphones. The millennian [sic] do not ever want to be taught anything unless you’re told it on a cellphone.”

He continued, “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.”

Although “The Last Duel” wasn’t a hit with critics or audiences, Scott still stands by his film.

“That’s the call you make,” he stated. “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.”

Scott has another chance to impress audiences when “House of Gucci” comes out on Wednesday. Early reviews have praised the film, which features another star-studded cast of Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Salma Hayek, and Jeremy Irons.

Critics and fans alike have praised the chemistry between Gaga and Driver, while others have marveled at the transformation that Leto achieved in order to become Paolo Gucci.

“House of Gucci” will make its theatrical debut this Wednesday on November 24, 2021.