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The much-awaited historical drama Napoleon is all set for its arrival in theatres on November 22, 2023. The film comes from the award-winning director Ridley Scott, who is best known for directing films in the science fiction and historical drama genres. He has managed to garner global appreciation for his unique and highly concentrated visual style of directing.
The synopsis of the film, as per IMDb, reads:
"The film is an original and personal look at Napoleon Bonaparte's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine."
Napoleon began production in February last year and wrapped up filming in May of the same year. The film, which has received an R rating from the MPAA, is also confirmed to release on Apple TV+ following its theatrical release. The date for the same will be announced soon.
Ridley Scott's Napoleon to feature Joaquin Phoenix and more stars
1) Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte
Joaquin Phoenix will play the lead role of Napoleon Bonaparte, a political leader who rose to fame during the French Revolution and one of the greatest military leaders in history, in the film. Known for playing dark and complex characters, fans cannot wait to see the award-winning actor portray the historical figure.
However, IndieWire reported that Phoenix had problems with his character's representation in the film and also persuaded director Ridley Scott to make some changes.
In an interview with the publication, Scott spoke about working with Phoenix on the historical drama and said:
“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. He made [‘Napoleon’] special by constantly questioning. Joaquin is probably the most special, thoughtful actor I’ve ever worked with.”
Scott also revealed that he had to write the whole film again owing to Phoenix's "incredibly constructive" feedback regarding his character.
The director continued:
“With 'Napoleon,' I think we dug in and found the character, or as close to what he may have been. With Joaquin, we can rewrite the goddamn film because he’s uncomfortable. And that kind of happened with 'Napoleon.' We unpicked the film to help him focus on who Bonaparte was. I had to respect that because what was being said was incredibly constructive. It made it all grow bigger and better.”
However, this isn't the first time that the duo has worked together. They earlier collaborated on the blockbuster 2000 film Gladiator, which won five academy awards. It has also been confirmed that Gladiator 2 will release on November 22, 2024.
It is safe to say that fans can expect a stunning performance from Phoenix in Napoleon, given his past accolades in the industry. Phoenix is known for his roles in popular films including Joker, The Master, Walk the Line, You Were Never Really Here, and more.
The actor has also been making headlines for his upcoming film Joker: Folie a Deux, a sequel to the critically acclaimed film Joker. He will be starring opposite the popular singer Lady Gaga in the film.
2) Vanessa Kirby as Josephine
Vanessa Kirby will be playing the lead role of Josephine, Napoleon Bonaparte's wife in the film. However, this is not the first time that the actress will be playing the role of a historical figure as she's previously portrayed the controversial figure Princess Margaret in the critically acclaimed Netflix show The Crown.
In an interview with The Playlist, the actress compared her character in the upcoming film to her character in the Netflix series.
She commented:
“For something like a film about Josephine, it’s reminding me of my process for ‘The Crown,’ where you have to play someone real and there’s this amount of forensic research you have to do, to collate all these different impressions that have been recorded of them, the real person, and bring it into one being for this version of this person onscreen.”
She continued:
“That’s requiring something different of me, but the journey is slightly familiar, just because in studying someone real — of whom there wasn’t lots of footage or anything like that, just books — it’s been really amazing to absorb. And music really comes into it for me now. So, [this historical epic] is a very different process I’m embarking on right now, right here. I’ve got virtually everything I could find just filling my whole house right now. And I’m loving it.”
In addition, the actress revealed that the upcoming film will be centered around Napolean and Josephine's relationship, and called director Ridley Scott a "master" of period filmmaking.
The actress has also appeared in numerous films and television shows including The World to Come, Mission Impossible franchise, Mr Jones, and was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in the Netflix film Pieces of a Woman.
3) Matthew Needham as Lucien Bonaparte
British Actor Matthew Needham will be playing the role of Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother Lucien in the upcoming film. Lucien Bonaparte was a French politician and diplomat, who served as Minister of the Interior in France from 1799 to 1800.
It has not yet been revealed to what extent the upcoming film will feature Needham's character since the story is mainly centered around Napoleon and Josephine's characters. However, fans are already expecting an excellent performance from the star, who recently garnered global appreciation for his performance in the critically acclaimed series House of the Dragon.
4) Ludivine Sagnier as Theresa Cabarrus
French actress and model Ludivine Sagnier will play the role of Theresa Cabarrus in the historical drama. Theresa Cabarrus was a Spanish-born French noble, who later became the Princess of Chimay.
Ludivine Sagnier has previously starred in several acclaimed projects including Swimming Pool, Peter Pan, The Devil's Double, 8 Women, and Love is in the Air, among numerous others.
Apart from the aforementioned actors, the film will also star:
- Ben Miles as Coulancourt
- Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras
- Paul Rhys as Talleyrand
- Ian McNeice
Napoleon will release in theatres on November 22, 2023.
