Variety reported earlier today that Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” will receive a theatrical release from Apple on November 22nd. A global streaming release date on Apple TV+ has not been announced yet but is expected to come after the theatrical release date since Apple has pledged to focus more on wider theatrical rollouts for their bigger titles.
Directed by Scott from a screenplay by David Scarpa, “Napoleon” stars Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and military leader. Already considered a major Oscar contender for this year, alongside Apple’s other huge contender “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” Ridley Scott’s latest historian epic marks his first film with Joaquin Phoenix since their Best Picture Oscar-winning film “Gladiator,” which Phoenix received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for. The film is 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, played by Vanessa Kirby. The film captures Napoleon’s famous battles, relentless ambition and astounding strategic mind as an extraordinary military leader and war visionary.
Ridley Scott’s filmography has been inconsistent throughout his entire career. One moment he can go from crafting a cinematic masterpiece like “Blade Runner” and “Alien,” and then he can be giving us misfires such as “A Good Year” and “The Counselor.” Scott was considered the go-to guy in the Hollywood studio system to create a historical epic drama since “Gladiator.” However, his three historical epics since then were all either considered financial or critical disappointments, with “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Robin Hood,” and “Exodus: Gods And Kings” all falling below expectations. It took working with a streamer for the first time in his career for one of his feature films to return to the genre again. With Apple’s unlimited resources and flexible, creative control, could “Napoleon” finally bring the 85-year-old director his first Oscar win?
Are you excited to see “Napoleon?” Do you think this will be one of Ridley Scott’s hits or another one of his misses? Do you see it as an Oscar contender? Please let us know in the comments section below or over on our Twitter account.
