Ridley Scott to Release 4-Hour 'Napoleon' Director's Cut on Apple TV+ After Theatrical Run with Sony Pictures

Ridley Scott plans to release a 4-hour director’s cut of his new film ‘Napoleon,’ starring Joaquin Phoenix, on Apple TV+ after its theatrical run with Sony Pictures.

Scott, well known for iconic films like Gladiator and Alien, is in the process of creating a director’s cut for his upcoming movie Napoleon. He recently shared with Total Film magazine that it’s currently about four hours and 10 minutes long. Once the theatrical version is screened with Sony Pictures, the extended director’s cut will be available for streaming. The film is rated R by the MPAA for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content, and brief language.

Scott said, “I’m working on it. It was four [hours] and 10 [minutes] this morning.” Scott added, “And so what will happen is, we’ll screen [the theatrical cut] first with Sony, and then it has its run, and then the perfect thing is that [the director’s cut] goes to streaming, and we have four hours and 10 minutes.”

Ridley Scott’s Efficient Filming Approach: 62 Days for ‘Napoleon,’ 54 Days for ‘Gladiator 2’ with Multiple Cameras

Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon' — Image Source: Sony Pictures

Scott revealed he managed to film ‘Napoleon’ in just 62 days, including six epic battles. Scott shared the efficiency of using multiple cameras, saying, “Every scene is geometry. By having 11 to 14 cameras, we shot Napoleon in 62 days. I’m doing Gladiator 2 now in 54 days, because I’m not doing 50 takes with one camera, on one shot, and then turning around.“

Most recently, Sony Pictures released a new trailer for the film. As per the film’s plot: Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.

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The film also stars Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine, Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras, Ben Miles as Caulaincourt, Ludivine Sagnier as Theresa Cabarrus, Matthew Needham as Lucien Bonaparte, Youssef Kerkour as General Davout, Phil Cornwell as Sanson ‘The Bourreau’, Edouard Philipponnat as Tsar Alexander, Ian McNeice, Paul Rhys as Talleyrand, John Hollingworth as Marshal Ney, and Gavin Spokes as Moulins.