Beyond Alien and Blade Runner, Ridley Scott is a great expert when it comes to making period films. We’ve seen it in Gladiator, a film that will have a sequel, and also in other successes such as The Last Duel and Kingdom of Heaven. But the director doesn’t tire of exploring this genre, and he has set his sights on a new biopic: Napoleon.
Although, as we saw in 1492: Conquest of Paradise, the biopic genre doesn’t seem to be his most comfortable genre, in his upcoming film, he wants to showcase his directorial prowess with a cast led by none other than Joaquin Phoenix. So, here’s everything we know about this upcoming feature film.
What is Napoleon about?
There is currently no official synopsis or many details about the film. However, it is clear that Napoleon will delve into the life of this 18th-century French conqueror. It seems that the movie will explore the character’s rise to power while he falls in love with Empress Josephine, his wife.
This relationship is not an ordinary one. They were unable to have children, which didn’t sit well with someone whose legacy meant everything, and they ended up divorcing in 1810, eleven years before the general’s death. But this will only be the tip of the iceberg in the film.
Obviously, we will see Napoleon’s involvement in the French Revolution and his subsequent role as the leader of the army, conquering various territories and engaging in multiple wars. Of course, we will also witness his downfall at Waterloo.
For Scott, the mix of love and war is crucial for the film. He acknowledged it in an interview: “Napoleon is a man who has always fascinated me. He rose from nothing to rule it all, but in the meantime, he waged a romantic war with his adulterous wife. He conquered the world in an attempt to win her love, and when he couldn’t, he conquered it to destroy her and ended up destroying himself in the process.”
Cast of Napoleon
The confirmed main actors who will appear in Ridley Scott’s biopic about Napoleon are as follows:
- Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte
- Vanessa Kirby as Empress Josephine
- Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras, Napoleon’s political rival during the French Revolution
- Paul Rhys as Talleyrand
- Matthew Needham as Lucien Bonaparte, the protagonist’s brother
- Other confirmed actors include Ludivine Sagnier, Ben Miles, Ian McNeice, John Hollinworth, Youssef Kerkour, Gavin Spokes, and Phil Cornwell.
Trailer and images of Napoleon
There is still no official trailer for the film, but below we present some images that have been unveiled.
Napoleon release date
Ridley Scott’s film with Joaquin Phoenix is set to premiere on November 22, 2023, with a strong intention to enter the race for the Oscars.
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