Napoleon | Sony/Apple | November 22, 2023 | Joaquin Phoenix is Napoleon | Ridley Scott

[TMP]

Quote

Ridley Scott will team with Joaquin Phoenix for Kitbag, with the Oscar-winning Joker star to play French military leader and emperor Napoleon. Pic is set at 20th Century Studios, where Scott Free has its deal. This comes as Scott today wraps production on The Last Duel in Ireland for 20th. Scott has screenwriter David Scarpa –, who wrote the Scott-directed All the Money in the World — working on a script for the Napoleon epic. The film will be produced by Scott and Kevin Walsh for Scott Free

 

[Eric Deetz]

I can’t wait for the scene where Joaquin talks about how Zack Snyder saved cinema and that Shazam was a megaflop.

[Valonqar]

Sir Ridley cannot be stopped! 

 

This could be great or awful. But one thing is sure, title will change. If you are making a Napoleon movie than flaunt it. 

 

It should be really big OS at least.

Edited October 15, 2020 by Valonqar

[dudalb]

THey are going to have to go the tricks Jackson used in his LOTR films to make Phoenix shoet enough for the role.

And Scott's first film.."The Duellists' is set during the Napoleonic wars.

Edited October 15, 2020 by dudalb

[35MM-18]

On 10/15/2020 at 11:19 PM, dudalb said:

THey are going to have to go the tricks Jackson used in his LOTR films to make Phoenix shoet enough for the role.

And Scott's first film.."The Duellists' is set during the Napoleonic wars.

It's a difference of 2 inches between Napoleon and Phoenix. They don't need to do anything.

[terrestrial]

Just vor the interested

the height in France at the time was named in inches, but the French inch of that time was ~ more/longer than the inch that we are used to nowadays. 

He wasn’t ‘that’ short for his time, but short for a French officer at that time.

He got to be an officer before the revolution, but lots of low (and even soldiers) ranking officers rose then fast and high after the revolution, people with charisma, appeal,.... had a bit over the usual average of an advantage then. For a certain time it was the ‘simple soldier’ who decided in a way who got promoted too, at least up to a certain level. This is not meant as all officers were...., its about a certain level and the tendency of some higher ranks of a defined time-frame.

Depending on the source material .... he was probably 5 feet 6.5 inches in today’s time, 5 feet and 2 inches in the then used version according to a doctor then, if you read the original statement of that doctor, the term ‘officer’ was included 

I’ve seen it calculated to 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 7 inches as well.

He had certain charisma, but also a good instinct whom to ‘attach’ himself to, whom to pick as ~ behind the scene support since he arrived in Paris. Incl which women to court in a way.

 

Joaquin Phoenix’ height - acc a fast glance in the net - is 5 feet 8 inches, his weight,... a lot matches to the years N. was in power, he’ll do just fine.

 

 

[Eric Deetz]

https://deadline.com/2021/01/napoleon-movie-joaquin-phoenix-ridley-scott-apple-studios-kitbag-1234672742/

 

Quote

EXCLUSIVE: Apple Studios has committed to finance and produce Kitbag, the Napoleon Bonaparte epic that Ridley Scott will direct, with Oscar-winning Joker star Joaquin Phoenix playing the French emperor and military leader. Production will begin in early 2022 in the UK. Scott and Kevin Walsh will produce for Scott Free.

 

Deadline last October revealed the aspirations of Scott and Phoenix to re-team on this film, which now has a screenplay by David Scarpa. He wrote the Scott-directed Getty kidnap drama All The Money in the World. Scott Free’s deal with 20th Century Studios obliged him to show it there last fall, but it became free and clear towards year end, and a world rights deal closed within the past two weeks at Apple Studios, where Scott Free has its first look deal for television projects.

 

[35MM-18]

Even with Apple financing, would it be okay to speculate if this'll get a theatrical release?

 

It's just that I recall one of the reasons MGM/UAR won Scott's Gucci movie over the streamers was because they offered a theatrical release.

[35MM-18]

Looks like Scott is seeking a Last Duel reunion.

 

 

[Valonqar]

LMAO! Is that a joke? Napoleon and Josephine are one of the most famous noona romances of all times, so how the heck are an actress in her 20s and an actor in his 40s a good fit for a couple that was 8 years apart (she was older)? This is going to be blasted for yet another case of pairing an actor with an actress who is 20 years younger. Seriously, if he's to keep Joaquin as Napoleon, he should cast an actress in her 50s as Josephine. That's only fair and logical. This is not. 

[terrestrial]

22 minutes ago, 35MM-18 said:

Looks like Scott is seeking a Last Duel reunion.

 

 

Forgot about The Duel, and as I am a face-blind I didn‘t realize at once her being wayyyy too young for The Duellists (1977), starting to try to remember if there was a child included I might have forgotten.

One of the early projects Pete Postlethwaite, who was one of my favorite actors, was casted in in a small role, hence a bit stronger in the forefront of my brain 🤪

(someone a child in 1977 would be far more matching for playing her also)

Edited March 3, 2021 by terrestrial

[35MM-18]

38 minutes ago, Valonqar said:

LMAO! Is that a joke? Napoleon and Josephine are one of the most famous noona romances of all times, so how the heck are an actress in her 20s and an actor in his 40s a good fit for a couple that was 8 years apart (she was older)? This is going to be blasted for yet another case of pairing an actor with an actress who is 20 years younger. Seriously, if he's to keep Joaquin as Napoleon, he should cast an actress in her 50s as Josephine. That's only fair and logical. This is not. 

As much as I like Comer, I do agree that she might be miscast as Josephine (unless the plan's for her to get a ton of makeup). 

 

At the very least, Rosamund Pike should be looked at (even if she's 5 years younger than Phoenix, she would still be around the right age for Josephine, and she's likely to get another Oscar nomination this year).

[Valonqar]

I guess casting is all but sealed. Oh well it isn't like most GA knows how old either was. 

[terrestrial]

33 minutes ago, 35MM-18 said:

As much as I like Comer, I do agree that she might be miscast as Josephine (unless the plan's for her to get a ton of makeup). 

 

At the very least, Rosamund Pike should be looked at (even if she's 5 years younger than Phoenix, she would still be around the right age for Josephine, and she's likely to get another Oscar nomination this year).

In my POV she is still too young

 

Its time for Hollywood to pick at least in historical figures a more matching age, she was 6y older in age, also went through some harder times before him, see financial hardship being the reasons she got married the first time, her being not executed (and freed from prison) too only bcs Robespierre gotten overthrown...

Her family-in-law not liking her and so on... I remember letters about her gotten ‘old’ over the divorce too. 

Not young, she was experienced in lots of themes, including male relationships, art,... the ‘air’ of someone who ‘lived’, always needed money (a lot),... no peacefull inner resting person. 

Not sure if I found the right terms.

 

[35MM-18]

 

Quote

“I start Napoleon in January,” the South Shields-born director, 83, tells me via Zoom from a hotel in Paris. “Then straight after that, it’s Gladiator 2.”

 

Scott has already “fully prepped and cast” the former: a sweeping period piece starring Joaquin Phoenix, which will follow the French emperor’s rise to power. 

 

[Valonqar]

Yes, more sweeping epics!

[filmlover]

Jodie Comer Exits Ridley Scott’s Napoleon Drama ‘Kitbag’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/3ndl2I493y

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 4, 2022

[lorddemaxus]

She was wayyyy too young for the role anyways

[grim22]

3 hours ago, lorddemaxus said:

She was wayyyy too young for the role anyways

 

 

They cast an actress literally just 4 years older

 

 

Saw a lot of talk on Twitter today that maybe Ridley could have cast an older actress to mirror the fact that in real life Josephine was older than Napoleon and to also give older actresses more roles.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

1 hour ago, grim22 said:

 

 

They cast an actress literally just 4 years older

 

 

Saw a lot of talk on Twitter today that maybe Ridley could have cast an older actress to mirror the fact that in real life Josephine was older than Napoleon and to also give older actresses more roles.

Of course Ridley doubled down on casting someone way too young for Josephine, the man clearly DGAF about his critics.