Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon Is Releasing Four Hour Cut, Here’s How To See It
Ridley Scott revealed that his director’s cut of the upcoming film Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix, will be more than four hours long. An article via TheWrap dropped news that the theatrical version of the movie will be released on November 22, 2023, while the director’s cut will be released on Apple TV+ early next year.
Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix, will have a theatrical release on November 22, 2023, while the director’s cut will be released on Apple TV+ early next year
Director Ridley Scott has worked on many notable films and is well-known for his “director’s cut” versions. Blade Runner and Kindom of Heaven being among his most notable films, Scott was excited at the freedom given by streaming platforms to craft a movie that is much longer than traditional films.
The upcoming film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, featuring the French general and emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, will depict six different major battle scenes. Most of the filming for the movie was done at various locations around England, however, in May of 2022, production shot for three weeks in Malta.
The film’s production crew transformed Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara into a grand presentation of the 1793 Siege of Toulon, where Napoleon first tasted victory on the battlefield.
Joaquin Phoenix’s role as Napoleon centers around his rise to and fall from power and his relationship with Empress Josephine (played by Vanessa Kirby). The making of Napoleon marks the reunion of Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott.
It has been more than two decades since the two worked together on the Oscar-winning film Gladiator, where Joaquin Phoenix played the evil Roman emperor Commodus. Pheonix starred opposite Russell Crowe, and Gladiator received 12 nominations (the most of any movie that year) for the 2001 Academy Awards.
Joaquin Phoenix’s role as Napoleon centers around his rise to and fall from power and his relationship with Empress Josephine
Five of those nominations turned into wins, stirring up a hopeful fanbase for the upcoming Napoleon. In addition, Ridley’s next movie in line for filming is going to be the sequel to Gladiator. The movie was already in production when the SAG-AFTRA strike began and has been cleared to resume production now that the strike has ended.
Though Ridley Scott admittedly had two different actors in mind to play the role of Napoleon, Phoenix’s performance as the leading man in 2019’s Joker stood out. The dark and ominous air presented by the talented Joaquin Phoenix showed Scott that he was perfect for the role of Napoleon.
When speaking of his adoration for Napoleon Bonaparte, Ridley Scott talked about how he admired the fact that Bonaparte came from nothing to rule everything. He also talked about the ruler’s toxic relationship and love for his cheating wife Josephine.
Scott is fascinated by the fact that Napoleon worked to conquer the world so he could win the love of Josephine. When he failed at truly winning her heart, he turned his vigor towards destroying her and destroyed himself along the way. It’s an epic and brutal love story.
Joaquin Phoenix knows just how to show the burdensome passion for power and love Napoleon Bonaparte would have needed to achieve all that he did. It will be quite a pleasure to see the artist work his magic under such a heavy storyline once again.
