Napoleon is an epic historical drama film directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa. It is based on the true story of Napoleon Bonaparte, primarily depicting the French leader's rise to power along with his relationship with Empress Joséphine. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby as Napoleon and Joséphine, respectively, alongside Tahar Rahim in a supporting role. Phoenix is also credited as a co-producer.
Napoleon was theatrically released in the United States on November 22, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing, before streaming on Apple TV+ at a later date.
Synopsis[]
The film takes a 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, Joséphine.
Cast[]
- Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French.[1]
- Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine, Empress Consort and the first wife of Napoleon.
- Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras, a politician who was the executive head of the Directory during the French Revolution.
- Ben Miles as Caulaincourt, a diplomat and close advisor to Napoleon.[2]
- Ludivine Sagnier as Thérésa Cabarrus (Madame Tallien), a socialite and noblewoman.[3]
- Matthew Needham as Lucien Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon.[4]
- Jordan Maron as Joachim Murat, one of Napoleon's smartest cavalry commanders.
- Youssef Kerkour as Marshal Davout, one of Napoleon's finest commanders.[5]
- Phil Cornwell as Sanson 'The Bourreau', the executioner who guillotined Louis XVI, the King of France.[6]
- Cody Taylor as George Talk III, the King of Great Britain.
- James Spankie as Francis II, the Emperor of Austria.
- Édouard Philipponnat as Alexander I, the Tsar of Russia.
- Harold Venom as Frederick William III, the King of Prussia.
- Ian McNeice as Louis XVIII, King of France during the Bourbon Restoration, following Napoleon's exile to Elba.
- Rupert Everett as Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.[7]
- Paul Rhys as Talleyrand, a leading diplomat of France.[8]
- Catherine Walker as Marie-Antoinette, Archduchess of Austria, and later Queen of France.
- Gavin Spokes as Moulin, a Directory politician.
- John Hollingworth as Marshal Ney, lauded as "the bravest of the brave" by Napoleon.[9]
- Mark Bonnar as Jean-Andoche Junot, general of Napoleon and commander of the French invasion of Portugal in 1807.[10]
- Anna Mawn as the Archduchess Marie-Louise, Napoleon's second wife.
- Davide Tucci as Lazare Hoche, a general and hero of revolutionary France.
- Sam Crane as Jacques-Louis David, a preeminent Neoclassical French painter.
- Scott Handy as Marshal Berthier, chief of staff to Napoleon from his first Italian campaign in 1796 until his first abdication in 1814, and twice Minister of War of France.
Production[]
Development[]
On October 14, 2020, the same day his film The Last Duel (2021) wrapped filming, Ridley Scott announced Kitbag as his next project for 20th Century Studios, which he would direct and produce from a screenplay written by Scott's All the Money in the World collaborator David Scarpa. The film's title was derived from the saying, "There is a general's staff hidden in every soldier's kitbag." Joaquin Phoenix was reportedly attached to star as the French general and emperor Napoleon, reuniting him with Scott for the first time since Gladiator (2000). However, when Scott's deal with 20th Century Studios concluded by the end of the year, the project became available to other major studios. In January 2021, Apple Studios announced its commitment to finance and produce the film, with shooting scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom in 2022. "Napoleon is a man I've always been fascinated by", Scott said in a statement. "He came out of nowhere to rule everything — but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Joséphine. He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn't, he conquered it to destroy her, and destroyed himself in the process."
The Last Duel actress Jodie Comer was reportedly Scott's first choice to play Empress Joséphine. She entered negotiations to star in March 2021, confirmed her casting in September, and said "I just jumped at the chance to work with Ridley and his team again and the idea of working with Joaquin, who's someone who I hugely admire ... I'm so excited to delve into that world." In November, she said her role was "going to be another huge challenge, but what I love about period dramas is that kind of transformation. Even now, doing some costume and hair tests for Kitbag, it's just so exciting because it becomes so much easier to step out of yourself and into somebody else." The same month, Youssef Kerkour was confirmed to star. On January 4, 2022, Comer revealed her departure from the film due to scheduling changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vanessa Kirby was announced as her replacement later that day. On January 18, 2022, producer Kevin J. Walsh said the film had been retitled Napoleon. In February, Tahar Rahim was added to the cast.
Filming[]
Production began in February 2022. The film will feature six major battle sequences, unlike Waterloo (1970), another film featuring Napoleon, that focused on a single battle. Napoleon was shot under the working title Marengo, a reference to the Battle of Marengo (1800). Filming took place in Lincoln, England in March 2022. The crew reportedly spent a week to prepare Lincoln Cathedral, which stood in for Notre-Dame de Paris. Shooting took place in the cathedral on March 17 and March 18, between 7 am and 7 pm.
Filming also took place at Stowe Avenue and House, Buckinghamshire; Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire; West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire, England;Petworth House in Sussex, England; and Boughton House in Kettering, England. It was set to shoot in Malta for three weeks, starting in May 2022, where Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara, was converted into the site of 1793's siege of Toulon, where Napoleon had his first victory.
Release[]
Napoleon is scheduled to be theatrically released on November 22, 2023 by Sony Pictures Releasing and Apple Studios, before releasing on Apple TV+ at an undetermined date.
For the film's theatrical release, Apple Studios has partnered with Sony Pictures under Columbia Pictures to assist in exhibiting the film worldwide.
Images[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ (2021) To Kidnap a Pope. Napoleon and Pius VII. Yale University Press, 116–117. ISBN 9780300251333.
- ↑ (2018) Caulaincourt : Diplomate de Napoléon. Paris: Nouveau Monde Éditions, 504. ISBN 978-2-36942-699-8.
- ↑ (1999) Madame Tallien, la Reine du Directoire. Biarritz: Atlantica.
- ↑ (1968) Napoléon. Paris: Perrin.
- ↑ (1895) Le maréchal Davout, son caractère et son génie. Paris: Hachette et Cie.
- ↑ (2004) The King's Trial: The French Revolution vs. Louis XVI. Los Angeles: Los Angeles: University of California Press, 215.
- ↑ Larman, Alexander (2023-07-11). Napoleon heralds the return of the man's movie (in en-US).
- ↑ (2011) Napoleon's Master. A Life of Prince Talleyrand. New York City: Random House, 2–7. ISBN 9781446448786.
- ↑ (1999) Dictionary of the Napoleonic wars. Wordsworth editions.
- ↑ (1864) Encyclopédie militaire et maritime par le comte de Chesnel. Paris: Le Chevallier.
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