Director Ridley Scott is putting his own twist on one of history’s most unforgettable stories. Sony released the first trailer for his upcoming film “Napoleon” on July 10, followed by another clip on Oct. 18. In them, Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix stars as the titular commander-turned-emperor Napoleon, while “Mission Impossible” and “The Crown” star Vanessa Kirby joins him as Empress Joséphine. Per the trailers, the movie looks at Napoleon through his long, volatile relationship with Joséphine as he rises (and falls) from power.
“Napoleon” is the 28th film that Scott, 85, has directed, and he’s not really slowing down. In 2021, he directed both “The Last Duel” and “House of Gucci,” and he’s currently in production on “Gladiator 2,” starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal. “Napoleon” was written by David Scarpa, who also wrote Scott’s film “All the Money in the World,” released in 2017.
Back in December 2022, Scott revealed that Phoenix’s input changed the scope of “Napoleon.” “Joaquin is about as far from conventional as you can get. Not deliberately, but out of intuition. That’s what makes him tick. If something bothers him, he’ll let you know,” the director told Empire. “He made [‘Napoleon’] special by constantly questioning.” Because of Phoenix’s questioning, Scott said, they “unpicked the film” to make it focus even more on Napoleon. “I had to respect that, because what was being said was incredibly constructive. It made it all grow bigger and better,” he added. Scott also called Phoenix “the most special, thoughtful actor I’ve ever worked with.”
“Napoleon” will be released in theaters next month and eventually stream on Apple TV+. Ahead, here’s everything we know about the historical epic.
