Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott reunite for a new saga about Napoleon Bonaparte.
Over two decades after first working together on Gladiator, Joaquin Phoenix has reunited with director Ridley Scott for an all-new epic about Napoleon Bonaparte. In the first trailer for the upcoming period drama, which is titled Napoleon, Phoenix is seen embodying the French Emperor at various stages in his political career as the biopic chronicles his rise and fall during the early 1800s.
"I'm the first to admit when I make a mistake. I simply never do," Phoenix says as the extended preview depicts Napoleon setting a trap for his adversaries on the battlefield.
It's just one of many elaborate set pieces to be featured in what Sony Pictures describes as "a spectacle-filled action epic" that is set "against a stunning backdrop of [Scott's] large-scale filmmaking."
According to the studio, "the film captures Bonaparte's relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, [Empress] Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed."
In addition to Phoenix as Bonaparte, Napoleon also stars Vanessa Kirby as Josephine and The Serpent's Tahar Rahim as French politician Paul Barras.
The cast also cast includes Ben Miles as advisor Caulaincourt, Ludivine Sagnier as Madame Tallien, Matthew Needham as Lucien Bonaparte, Youssef Kerkour as commander Marshal Davout and Phil Cornwell as royal executioner Sanson "The Bourreau."
Set for a Thanksgiving release in theaters, Napoleon is rated R for "strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and brief language."
Released in theaters in 2000, Phoenix previously portrayed another power-hungry emperor, Commodus, in Scott's historical drama about a Roman general, played by Russell Crowe, who is forced into slavery before seeking revenge by rising through the ranks to become a notorious gladiator.
Gladiator, which was a massive hit at the time, earned Phoenix an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Scott one for Best Director while winning Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe during the 73rd Academy Awards.
Napoleon is slated to come out on Nov. 22, 2023 before debuting on Apple TV+ at a later date.
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