The life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte certainly need the big canvas treatment, and going by the trailer above for Napoleon, that certainly appears the ticket with director Ridley Scott’s version of the iconic Frenchman’s life.
To watch the trailer, click the play button at the left of the feature image above.
Awesome to see that large-scale filmmaking hasn’t died just yet, with Napoleon also being shown on 70mm, IMAX, and Screen X in select theaters upon its release in the U.S. and U.K. on Nov. 22. Later, it will be streamed via AppleTV+.
The filmmakers have been boasting that the film has some of the most dynamic, practical battle sequences ever filmed.
Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix plays the French Emperor, while Vanessa Kirby plays the role of his Josephine. Their relationship is pivotal to the 157-minute-long film (a director’s cut is reportedly over 4½ hours long).
“Napoleon is a man I’ve always been fascinated by,” Scott told Deadline. “He came out of nowhere to rule everything — but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine. He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn’t, he conquered it to destroy her, and destroyed himself in the process.”
The 85-year-old Scott is currently in production with his 29th film—Gladiator 2, which is due to be released in late 2024. A list of his 28 other films is below.
The Duellists (1977)
Alien (1979)
Blade Runner (1982)
Legend (1985)
Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
Black Rain (1989)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
White Squall (1996)
G.I. Jane (1997)
Gladiator (2000)
Hannibal (2001)
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Matchstick Men (2003)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
A Good Year (2006)
American Gangster (2007)
Body of Lies (2008)
Robin Hood (2010)
Prometheus (2012)
The Counselor (2013)
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
The Martian (2015)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
All the Money in the World (2017)
The Last Duel (2021)
House of Gucci (2021)
Napoleon (2023)
