Apple TV+ just gave us the first real look at Ridley Scott’s upcoming biopic about Napoleon Bonaparte. The Napoleon trailer dropped Monday, showing Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor setting out to conquer Europe.
The film tells the story of Napoleon’s ruthless rise to power and his obsessive love for his wife, Empress Josephine.
Napoleon hopes to conquer theaters first
For the benefit of those who came away from history class with only vague memories of a short, French guy with a funny hat, the film captures Napoleon’s “swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby),” according to Apple’s description.
The French emperor conquered much of Europe, and the Apple TV+ film will include “Napoleon’s famous battles, relentless ambition and astounding strategic mind as an extraordinary military leader and war visionary.”
He’s definitely ruthless — the trailer for the Apple TV+ movie includes the events of 13 Vendémiaire in which he used cannons to kill about 300 French rebels.
Watch the trailer for a taste of Napoleon‘s mix of drama and action:
The film is directed by Ridley Scott, who’s had a long career, including directing Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Alien, Gladiator, The Martian and many more. He also directed Apple’s iconic “1984” ad, which depicted Cupertino as a rebel taking a sledgehammer to the conformity of the Big Brother-style computer industry.
Joaquin Phoenix, who’ll play the titular star, also starred in Joker, Her and more.
Coming this autumn to Apple TV+
Scott and Apple TV+ have been at work on Napoleon for years, of course. And the biopic will finally reach the streaming service on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.
Other marquee films coming to Apple TV+ include Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Argylle.
Apple’s streaming video service is available by subscription for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
