Ridley Scott's Action Epic 'Napoleon' Coming to Apple TV+ on March 1

Apple Original Films' historical action epic "Napoleon" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on March 1, 2024, the company has announced.


Directed by Ridley Scott, best known for films including "Alien," "Blade Runner," and "Gladiator," his new biopic stars Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and military leader.

The film is an original and personal look at Napoleon Bonaparte's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby. The film captures Napoleon's famous battles, relentless ambition and astounding strategic mind as an extraordinary military leader and war visionary.

"Napoleon" has received Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects. This year's Oscar winners will be announced at the 96th Academy Awards on March 10.

Scott's film has drawn both praise and criticism from audiences and reviewers. It has been recognized for its technical excellence, epic battle scenes, and some strong performances, including Vanessa Kirby's portrayal of Josephine in particular. But the script has also faced some criticism for its historical accuracy and a somewhat shallow exploration of a complex historical figure.

Scott is also releasing a four-hour-long cut of "Napoleon", exclusive to ‌Apple TV‌+, with extra scenes and the potential to address some of these criticisms, although it's not clear when this will arrive on the streaming service.

‌Apple TV‌+ received a price increase in October, and the service now costs $9.99 per month in the U.S. for new and existing subscribers.

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Top Rated Comments

skippermonkey Avatar
24 months ago
Coupla things: the movie itself is a visually dreary affair, shot at whatever the opposite of 'golden hour' is. I think Ridley just said to the colour graders: "make it sepia." Also, while production values are fantastic, the historical inaccuracy really annoyed me.

Apple had a brilliant opportunity here to make something quite astonishing. It should have been a six or eight-hour TV series, edited down to a movie. There are huge chunks of Napoleon's story missing (like his entire Italian campaign), and scenes where major characters are introduced who then never appear again. A TV show covering the full, complex story of Napoleon and his major battles could have been the most epic thing ever made. And it's not like Apple can't afford it. Ho-hum.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kirky29 Avatar
24 months ago
Part of Napoleon was filmed at my Cities incredible Cathedral, it was pretty cool to see it all transformed.
Lincoln, UK.

https://shorturl.at/ejsx1
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adammusic Avatar
24 months ago
Waiting for 4 hr version.
Wish that would go in theaters. With a piss break.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
britboyj Avatar
24 months ago
Decent movie, but not Scott's best. Production value overshadows the story.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SnakeEater1993 Avatar
24 months ago
Theatrical release felt like a chopped-down film, not a first-timer for Scott's history, waiting for the director's cut as well...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lift Bar Avatar
24 months ago

It's barely illegal. Not the same as blatantly stealing something from a shop.
It's okay. Some people struggle to grasp the concept of intellectual property. Some are blatantly immoral, but more often, they're actually unable to see the difference between downloading a pirated movie and paying for it. Most lack a fundamental understanding of how creative industries work. It's difficult to explain to them because they don't have the intellectual capacity for learning. Sometimes we just have to accept that not everyone can grasp complex subjects.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)