Box office: Joaquin Phoenix's 'Napoleon' slow in India
It seems like Indian viewers are not too eager to see the saga of French emperor and military commander Napoleon Bonaparte on the silver screen. Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, was released on Friday and collected about Rs. 1.2 crore on its opening day. It failed to show momentum on Saturday, too, collecting an estimated Rs. 1.19cr. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon in it.
Why does this story matter?
At the Indian box office, Napoleon is pitted against T-Series's Starfish and Salman Khan Films's Farrey, both of which opened to negligible figures on Friday. However, Tiger 3 is still running successfully in theaters, and the smaller audience for Napoleon can directly be attributed to the Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Emraan Hashmi starrer. Notably, Napoleon is Scott's second film with Phoenix after Gladiator.
Looking at 'Napolean' in numbers
Per Sacnilk, Napoleon's total now stands at around Rs. 2.39cr. It recorded an overall occupancy of 14.31% on Saturday, with the night shows being the most crowded (17.18%), followed by the evening shows (15.52%). It is important to note that the makers have clarified that Napoleon is not a biopic and shouldn't be viewed like that, with several cinematic liberties peppered throughout the drama.
Competition ahead for 'Napoleon'
Napoleon has less than a week to salvage itself in India as two box office beasts will replace it soon: Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal and Vicky Kaushal's Sam Bahadur. While the former is a gangster drama co-starring Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, and Bobby Deol, the latter is based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Mankeshaw. Both will be released on Friday.
More about film and its cast ensemble
The film also stars Vanessa Kirby, Ben Miles, Catherine Walker, and Davide Tucci, among others. Kirby has played the role of Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's wife. It is written by David Scarpa, known for The Man in the High Castle and The Last Castle. Separately, Napolean's extended director's cut (four hours long) will be released on Apple TV+ post the theatrical run.
