Last month, we got a look at the trailer for the action thriller Duchess, the latest film from director Neil Marshall. Saban Films will be giving Duchess a digital and VOD release on August 9th… and with that date just one week away, a pair of promotional clips have made their way online. They’re called the “Home Invasion” and “Garage Ambush” clips, and you can watch them right here in this article.
In the UK, Duchess will be getting a limited theatrical release on August 9th, and will then be available for digital download on the 12th.
Marshall wrote the Duchess screenplay with Charlotte Kirk, who also stars as the title character, a tough, working-class, petty criminal who morphs into an anti-heroine to be reckoned with in a murky underworld, in the treacherous world of diamond smuggling. Determined to seek retribution she launches into a vicious and violent pursuit for vengeance.
Kirk is joined in the cast by Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon), Stephanie Beacham (Coronation Street), Colin Egglesfield (The Client List), Philip Winchester (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), and Hoji Fortuna (Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake).
Kirk previously starred in Marshall’s films The Lair and The Reckoning. In addition to those, Marshall’s directing credits include Hellboy (2019), Centurion, Doomsday, The Descent, Dog Soldiers, a segment of the anthology Tales of Halloween, and episodes of Black Sails, Game of Thrones, Constantine, Hannibal, Timeless, Westworld, and Lost in Space.
Emily Corcoran and Kristyna Sellnerova produced Duchess for Cork Films. Marshall provided the following statement about the film: “The criminal underworld, and especially gangsters, have been staple movie fodder since movies were invented, and their popularity is as strong as ever. Just look at the success of movies such as Goodfellas, The Departed, Pulp Fiction, True Romance or tv series like Narcos, Ozark and Breaking Bad. The universal appeal of criminals and their nefarious endeavours shows no sign of wavering. Added to that, female driven action movies have also made their mark of late. Classic movies such as Kill Bill, Salt, Lucy, Hanna, Mad Max: Fury Road, Hunger Games, and Atomic Blonde have proved very popular with audiences, and characters such as Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor have become cinematic icons. Duchess, and Scarlett Monaghan, follows firmly in this tradition, and I think the reason Scarlett’s story resonates so strongly, particularly amongst women, is because she’s not a superhero or a spy, she’s a regular London girl just trying to survive in this crazy world. With Duchess, I wanted to create a British action crime thriller with international appeal. While its themes of love lost and revenge taken are universal, I decided early on in the development of the script that rather than go down the traditional route of East End gangsters and cockney swagger, I wanted to broaden its scope, not just in terms of its visual texture and style, but also its central story. I changed up drug deals for the more mysterious and somewhat enticing world of international diamond smuggling. Who isn’t drawn to the allure of a sparkling diamond? And instead of the rainy back streets of London I wanted to give this film a sun-baked and vibrant look. And of course,the movie is packed full of exciting and intense action sequences in the great tradition of films like Heat, The Untouchables and Scarface. Duchess is a fresh take on a genre we all love, and it’s a hell of a wild ride.”
Marshall is currently in post-production on Compulsion, which is said to be inspired by the old school erotic thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s, like Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, and Single White Female. Charlotte Kirk also stars in that film.
As I have said before, I think Dog Soldiers is one of the coolest werewolf movies ever made, and that one guaranteed that I’ll always watch any movie Marshall happens to make. So I will definitely be watching Duchess.
Are you looking forward to Duchess? Check out the clips, then let us know by leaving a comment below.