In an effort to make Hollywood films great again, powerhouse director Ridley Scott has saddled up for yet another wildly ambitious historical drama starring Joaquin Phoenix. And if the first Napoleon trailer is any indication of quality, it seems we’re in for another Kingdom of Heaven-tier masterpiece.
The film (previously titled Kitbag) will obviously follow the exploits of the titular military genius, deeply influential political figure, and Emperor of France. Brought to life by an Academy Award winner in Phoenix, based on the footage previewed today, it’ll open with Napoleon’s rise to prominence during the French Revolution (including such seismic events as the Siege of Toulon) before navigating to his famous downfall at the Battle of Waterloo — boots, ballistics, blood, and all.
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Here’s the official synopsis for Scott’s latest full-scale undertaking:
‘Napoleon’ is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the chequered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (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 (Vanessa Kirby; initially Jodie Comer), showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.
Of course, Joaquin Phoenix isn’t the only collaborator Ridley Scott has reunited with. The screenplay has been accomplished by David Scarpa, who penned All The Money In The World. Prior to that, you may have encountered Scarpa’s work in the form of Amazon Prime Video‘s hit series, The Man In The High Castle, of which he served as co-showrunner.
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Phoenix and Kirby are joined by Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras, Ben Miles as Caulaincourt, Ludivine Sagnier as Theresa Cabarrus, Matthew Needham as Lucien Bonaparte, Youssef Kerkour as Marshal Davout, Phil Cornwell as Sanson ‘The Bourreay,’ Edouard Philipponnat as Tsar Alexander, and plenty more.
This marks one of four major productions Apple has recently invested in next to Antoine Fuqua’s slavery film Emancipation starring Will Smith, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as Joseph Kosinski’s untitled Formula 1 flick (in which Brad Pitt actually pilots an F2 race rig modified by the Mercedes team).
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby is scheduled to hit theatres later this year on November 23rd before eventually making its way to Apple TV+ — check out the trailer above.
