Apple to sign, produce Joaquin Phoenix-Ridley Scott's Napoleon Bonaparte biopic
Joaquin Phoenix's upcoming role of French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte has received a plush deal with one of the most prominent OTT platforms at present. Apple has agreed to finance and produce the film, Kitbag, which means that it will get an Apple TV+ release, broadening the scope of attraction beyond the streamers' community of about 40 million users, as estimated by end of 2020.
The film by Ridley Scott will outline the ascent of the emperor and legendary military strategist with the backdrop of his relationship with his wife, Josephine. Scott told reporters how Napoleon fought battles on the ground and within his heart simultaneously. "He came out of nowhere to rule everything — but... he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine," Scott said.
Scott also had great things to say about Phoenix, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Joker in the eponymous film by Todd Phillips. He said none can play the role better than the 46-year-old. "He created one of movie history's most complex Emperors in Gladiator, and we'll create another with his Napoleon," said Scott, praising the script by David Scarpa.
Kitbag will start production in early 2022 in the UK. Apart from this, Apple also has other major acquisitions such as Justin Timberlake's Palmer, which marks his return to acting after three years, and World War II drama, Greyhound, where Tom Hanks portrays Commander Ernest Krause. Apple Studios is also behind the action thriller, Emancipation, starring Will Smith, now in its early development stages.
Phoenix's stupendous acting skills aside, he also hogged headlines last year when he rescued a cow and a calf named Liberty and Indigo, respectively, from a slaughterhouse in Los Angeles, just a day after winning the Academy Award for Joker. A vegan, he was subsequently awarded a PETA Libby prize for the "Most Inspiring Act Of Kindness To Animals" for rescuing the mother-daughter duo.
