Is Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon the Oscar contender many are predicting it to be? That’s a tough question, because Scott’s last few films; All the Money in the World, House of Gucci, and The Last Duel, were also pegged as such but didn’t pan out. This film, however, has something those other movies didn’t, and that’s a promising reunion with Joaquin Phoenix.
Phoenix plays the legendary French leader and military commander Napoleon Bonaparte in a film that chronicles his rise to power. The film will largely be seen through the eyes of Napoleon’s great love, Empress Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby. Also in the cast are Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, and Ludivine Sagnier. The screenplay is by David Scarpa, who penned Scott’s All the Money in the World.
Scott really hasn’t had a box office smash in ages, either. So there’s a lot riding on Napoleon to be a hit.
Napoleon opens in theaters on November 22nd, and since this is an Apple release it’ll probably hit streaming soon after.
Here’s the synopsis: Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.
