Ridley Scott certainly doesn’t enjoy being idle. After releasing two films last year (The Last Duel and House of Gucci), Scott got right back on the horse and started shooting his Napoleon Bonaparte movie starring Joaquin Phoenix just last month. A few set photos have now emerged via People which show Phoenix decked out in his full Napoleon costume.
Joaquin Phoenix certainly has the Napoleon look down and what we can see of the period set and costumes looks quite impressive; of course, I would expect nothing less from Ridley Scott. Napoleon, which was once titled Kitbag, will be an “original and personal look at Napoleon’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. While the intention of the film is to capture Napoleon’s famous battles, ambition and strategic mind, the love story he had with Josephine is just as important to the origins and way the great military leader was.” In addition to Joaquin Phoenix, Napoleon will also star Vanessa Kirby as Empress Josephine and Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras.
Although he shows no signs of slowing down, Ridley Scott told THR that the older he gets, the more he looks for things “which are about something, aren’t just entertainment. It must have an effect on somebody. Napoleon fit the bill in that regard as Scott was very interested in the dynamic between Napoleon and Josephine.
You’ve got to serve battles, and action, and sex with great restraint. Otherwise, it all gets boring. What is it about Napoleon that makes him fascinating? Very simply this: a man who was one of the most powerful men in history, yet is so reliant on a woman.
Napoleon doesn’t have an official release date yet but it’s set to be released by Apple TV+.
