Ben Affleck is never shy about his feelings on the film industry and his work. That’s why it comes as no surprise that he recently got very candid about his latest work, The Last Duel, and its performance compared to IPs.
Affleck recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the theatrical release being dominated by franchise-based films, noting that kind of moviemaking is no longer what he wants to do. Because of that, he hints that The Last Duel might be one of his last major theatrical releases (besides his upcoming appearances in the DC film The Flash.)
“That’s probably the last theatrical release I’ll have because I don’t want to do IP movies where you have this sort of built-in audience. That’s something I was interested in and liked, and I just don’t like anymore. I like other people who do it. And if you are going to do it, you should love it. And I love something different. So, I want to do that.”
Affleck seems much more open-minded than some of his peers. The filmmaker understands why streaming is growing and why he feels like his films could end up there.
“This is more due to a seismic shift that I’m seeing, and I’m having this conversation with every single person I know. Though there are various iterations, the conversation is the same: How is [the movie business] changing? One of the fundamental ways it’s changing is that the people who want to see complicated, adult, non-IP dramas are the same people who are saying to themselves, ‘You know what? I don’t need to go out to a movie theater because I’d like to pause it, go to the bathroom, finish it tomorrow.'”
He continues, “It’s that, along with the fact that you can watch with good quality at home. It’s not like when I was a kid, and the TV at home was an 11-inch black-and-white TV. I mean, you can get a 65-inch TV at Walmart for $130. There’s good quality out there, and people are at home streaming in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. It’s all changed.”
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The Last Duel is currently available on PVOD and sees Affleck starring alongside Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, and Adam Driver. You can also see Affleck in 2022’s The Flash, where he’ll reprise the role of Batman for one final time.
