Hollywood stars film at French château

Hollywood actors Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Adam Driver are currently filming scenes from new Ridley Scott film The Last Duel at the Château de Berzé, in Saône-et-Loire, eastern France.

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The stars have been in France for several weeks, and were welcomed at the end of February in the small town of Sarlat-la-Canéda (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) as they also filmed scenes at the Château de Beynac and in the warehouses of French tobacco company France Tabac.

Read more: Hollywood movie stars come to small French town

They are now filming at the Château de Berzé, in the commune of Berzé-le-Châtel (Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté).

The château is not accessible to the public.

The actors are staying at the three Michelin-starred hotel-restaurant Georges-Blanc, in Vonnas (Ain). The technical team are staying in the town of Cluny (Saône-et-Loire).

Actress Jodie Comer - best known for her role as Villanelle in the TV series Killing Eve - is also appearing in the movie, and has also been filming in France.

The actors are appearing in the film The Last Duel, which is set for release in early 2021. The movie tells the story of “the last true duel” to have been organised in France, which is said to have been between the Carrouges Knight and a squire, in the year 1386.

It is based on the book, Le Dernier Duel: Paris, 29 Décembre 1386 (The Last Duel: Paris, 29 December 1386), by Éric Jager.

Filming has also taken place in the Dordogne, at the Château de Beynac and the Château de Fénelon. Some scenes have also been shot at the Fontfroide Abbey, near the medieval city of Carcassonne (Aude, Occitanie).

This is not the first film by Sir Ridley Scott about a duel set in France.

He also directed the BAFTA-nominated 1977 movie The Duellists - starring Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel - which won the Best Debut Film Award at the Cannes film festival in the same year.

It was filmed in 1976 at a number of French locations in the Dordogne, including the Château de Caudon, in Domme; the Château de Commarque in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil; the Château de Lacoste in Castelnaud-la-Chapelle; the Château de Cipières in Saint-Crépin-et-Carlucet; and the Château de Puymartin in Marquay.

It also featured shots in the town of Sarlat-la-Canéda, which is known as one of the best-preserved towns - of 14th-century style - in France.

Sir Ridley, who is British, is best-known as the director of such critically-acclaimed films as Blade Runner, Alien, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator.

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