It is certain that there are a few things to say about Napoleon and dedicating a film to him must not be an easy task in terms of historical fidelity. If Ridley Scott shot his historical epic in just 62 days, the long format of his biopic is currently… four hours and ten minutes!
“What will happen is we’ll screen first (in theaters) with Sony, and then, what’s perfect, (the director’s cut) will be streamed, and we’ll have four hours and ten minutes,” explained the director ofAlien and of House of Gucci to the magazine Total Film.
Shorter in theaters
How was the director able to shoot such a long film in such a short time? “Each scene is geometric,” he explains. With 11 to 14 cameras, we shot Napoleon in 62 days. I am currently filming Gladiator 2 in 54 days, because I don’t do 50 takes with a single camera, on a single shot, circling around the subject. »
Napoleon tells the story of the emperor, played by Joaquin Phoenix (who reunites with the director for the first time in 20 years, since Gladiator), and his relationship with Empress Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby. The long version will therefore allow fans to fully understand the nuances of the relationship at home, even if it means doing it several times. Cocorico, French people will still appear in the casting, including Tahar Rahim and Ludivine Sagnier.
The feature film is expected in theaters on November 22, before being streamed on Apple TV+ on an undisclosed date. Don’t worry, it won’t be as long in theaters as it is in streaming… Only two hours and thirty-eight minutes! Phew!