Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon,’ Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, Will Mostly Be a Love Story

The headlines:

What is Napoleon about?

Ridley Scott’s historical drama centers on the legendary leader who went from military general to Emperor of France, with a focus on his tumultuous relationship with the woman who became his wife, Joséphine.

Who is in the cast of Napoleon?

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon with Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine and Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras, the commissioner of the revolutionary army who made Napoleon a general.

When is the release date for Napoleon?

It’s expected in 2023, but a release date has yet to be announced.

Is there a trailer for Napoleon?

Production only began in February 2022, so it will be a while yet before we’re able to see any footage.

Where can I watch Napoleon?

It’s produced by Apple TV+ so should be available in theaters and on the streaming platform, assuming the studio continues to follow its current release model.

The details:

It’s expected to track Napoleon’s spectacular rise and fall

During the French Revolution, Napoleon rose rapidly through the military ranks. As a general, he seized power in a coup d’etat in 1799 and crowned himself leader. Waging war against European nations, he then expanded his empire. “Napoleon is a man I’ve always been fascinated by,” director Ridley Scott told Deadline in January of 2021. “He came out of nowhere to rule everything—but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine. 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 film’s name has changed

Until recently, the film was titled Kitbag, apparently in a nod to the saying “There is a general’s staff hidden in every soldier’s kitbag.” It has now been changed to slightly more direct Napoleon.

Before Vanessa Kirby, Jodie Comer was set to play Joséphine

The Killing Eve star, who recently appeared in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, signed on to play Joséphine in 2021, but on January 4, 2022, it emerged that she would have to bow out due to scheduling issues that arose as a result of the pandemic. Hours later, it was reported that the Oscar-nominated Vanessa Kirby would be taking her place.

It’s being filmed across the U.K.—and further afield, too

Napoleon will be shot primarily in the U.K., with many scenes playing out in Lincoln, Blenheim Palace, West Wycombe Park, and Boughton House in Kettering. The BBC added that Lincoln Cathedral was being transformed into a set, with locals speculating that it will stand in for Notre-Dame, where Napoleon was crowned. Come May, the film is also set to shoot in Malta, where Fort Ricasoli will be transformed into Toulon, the site of Napoleon’s first victory in 1793.

It marks a cinematic reunion

Napoleon unites Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott for the first time since Gladiator, in which the former played the power-hungry Roman ruler Commodus. “No actor could ever embody Napoleon like Joaquin,” Scott told Deadline. “He created one of movie history’s most complex emperors in Gladiator, and we’ll create another with his Napoleon.” And after Napoleon? Scott is set to begin production on the long-awaited Gladiator 2.  

The costumes are sure to be stunning

Janty Yates—the costume designer who has collaborated with Scott on everything from Gladiator and Robin Hood to The Last Duel and House of Gucci*—*is returning for Napoleon, so you can expect to see immaculate chiffon, silk, and lace dresses in the neoclassical styles that were popular at the time. Make sure to pay close attention to Napoleon and Joséphine’s lavish coronation outfits in particular: he wore a gold-embroidered white satin tunic and red velvet cloak embellished with golden bees, while she wore a white satin gown with puffed sleeves and gold detailing.

Get ready for battles galore

Napoleon has tapped former paratrooper Paul Biddiss, the military advisor from 1917, to help bring its battle sequences to life and, according to Deadline, there will be six of them in total. Knowing Scott, they won’t skimp on spectacle either. 

Ultimately, Napoleon will be about love

When the French leader was a 26-year-old officer, he met Joséphine, a 32-year-old single mother of two. They fell in love and soon married, but both were known to have affairs, leading to a divorce in 1810. When asked about his take on the film by Deadline, Scott said that he’d “narrowed it down to: what was so needful of Napoleon to this woman, and what became so needful for this woman to Napoleon Bonaparte? Why this connection?” For the answer, we’ll have to wait until next year.