‘Napoleon’ Gets a New IMAX Poster!! Check It Out!!

Ridley Scott‘s highly anticipated upcoming film Napoleon has a brand-new IMAX poster highlighting the film’s star Joaquin Phoenix. Set to be released later this month, Napoleon is the first time that Phoenix and Scott have worked together since their Academy Award-winning film, Gladiator — which was shot over 20 years ago. And while the director is busily working away on a sequel to that epic period piece, all eyes are on the historical (and don’t forget bloody) story Scott will tell with Napoleon.

Napoleon will serve as a biopic of the titular historical character as he rises to power as an Emperor and conqueror. Scott has revealed that in order to properly do the character justice, the film will be marching into theaters with a lengthy runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes. However, Scott wanted his version of the character to differ from others that have been presented on screen in the past. Speaking to The New Yorker, Scott shared his fascination with Napoleon and his Empress Joséphine, as he felt there was a strong “attachment” Napoleon had for her. The director wanted to explore that and answer the question, “Who [is] this person, and why [is] he vulnerable?” Therefore, he built an epic tale with the pair at the heart of his story and a stunning backdrop surrounding the characters.

Who Stars in Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’?

Academy Award Winner Phoenix joins Scott once more as he portrays the titular character Napoleon Bonaparte. Initially, Jodi Comer from Scott‘s previous film The Last Duel was set to portray Napoleon’s wife and Empress, Joséphine. However, the actress was forced to back out due to scheduling conflicts as a result of the pandemic. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Comer shared “Unfortunately, due to COVID and changes of schedule, I don’t think I can make Kitbag [Napoleon] work right now due to a scheduling conflict.” Her dismay at having to pull out of the project truly came through the interview as she called the situation “rubbish.” Since then, Mission Impossible‘s Vanessa Kirby has stepped into the role of Joséphine instead.

Joining Kirby and Pheonix are Ludivine Sagnier (Lupin) as Theresa Cabarrus, Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding) as the Duke of Wellington, Ben Miles (Andor) as Caulaincourt, Matthew Needham (House of the Dragon) as Lucien Bonaparte, Mark Bonnar (Catastrophe) as Jean-Andoche Junot, Catherine Walker (House of Gucci) as Marie-Antoinette, Youssef Kerkour (House of Gucci) as Marshal Davout, and Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian) as Paul Barras.