Many years after Joaquin Phoenix portrayed Emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott‘s Best Picture-winning Gladiator, they have paired up again for Oscar season. This time around, Phoenix will stretch his acting skills by portraying a famously short 5’6″ emperor despite being a full 5’8″ (according to Google) in real life. Surely, he can manage this after winning Best Actor for Joker, in which he brought us a Clown Prince of Gotham like we’ve never seen before.
Phoenix now stars in this trailer for Scott’s Napoleon, which promises “some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. As well, we’ll see the cinematic story of the first French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, who hailed from Corsica and was reportedly trolled by his own soldiers for that accent. We’re seeing (or, rather, hearing) no indication of whether this will be addressed in Ridley’s upcoming blockbuster of a historical epic. We are being, however, teased about some steamy scenes between Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, who portrays Josephine.
From the Apple TV+ film’s synopsis:
Directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by David Scarpa, “Napoleon” stars Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and military leader. 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.
Napoleon arrives in theaters on November 22.