AGL 37.98 Increased By ▲ 0.48 (1.28%)
AIRLINK 220.00 Increased By ▲ 2.62 (1.21%)
BOP 10.81 Increased By ▲ 0.34 (3.25%)
CNERGY 7.85 Increased By ▲ 0.41 (5.51%)
DCL 9.15 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (1.55%)
DFML 40.78 Decreased By ▼ -0.56 (-1.35%)
DGKC 104.92 Decreased By ▼ -1.14 (-1.07%)
FCCL 36.58 Decreased By ▼ -0.94 (-2.51%)
FFBL 88.94 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
FFL 17.93 Increased By ▲ 0.67 (3.88%)
HUBC 130.89 Increased By ▲ 1.18 (0.91%)
HUMNL 14.67 Increased By ▲ 0.65 (4.64%)
KEL 5.60 Increased By ▲ 0.19 (3.51%)
KOSM 7.38 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (2.93%)
MLCF 45.94 Decreased By ▼ -0.44 (-0.95%)
NBP 66.92 Increased By ▲ 1.26 (1.92%)
OGDC 227.26 Increased By ▲ 1.80 (0.8%)
PAEL 43.85 Decreased By ▼ -0.67 (-1.5%)
PIBTL 9.38 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (11.93%)
PPL 203.55 Increased By ▲ 4.59 (2.31%)
PRL 44.32 Increased By ▲ 3.86 (9.54%)
PTC 27.27 Decreased By ▼ -0.03 (-0.11%)
SEARL 104.46 Decreased By ▼ -1.83 (-1.72%)
TELE 9.70 Increased By ▲ 0.07 (0.73%)
TOMCL 35.69 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (0.11%)
TPLP 15.64 Increased By ▲ 0.57 (3.78%)
TREET 28.09 Increased By ▲ 2.46 (9.6%)
TRG 70.67 Increased By ▲ 0.22 (0.31%)
UNITY 34.54 Increased By ▲ 0.99 (2.95%)
WTL 1.78 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-2.73%)
BR100 12,387 Increased By 2.7 (0.02%)
BR30 38,706 Increased By 316.8 (0.83%)
KSE100 115,127 Decreased By -132.1 (-0.11%)
KSE30 36,182 Decreased By -117.5 (-0.32%)
Life & Style

Ridley Scott reunites with Joaquin Phoenix for ‘Napoleon’ biopic

Published November 17, 2023
Director Ridley Scott and cast member Joaquin Phoenix look on during a photocall for the World Premiere of the film “Napoleon” at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, France, November 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Director Ridley Scott and cast member Joaquin Phoenix look on during a photocall for the World Premiere of the film “Napoleon” at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, France, November 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Veteran filmmaker Ridley Scott likens working with Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix to “a toboggan ride”.

The ‘Gladiator’ director and star reunited after more than two decades to make the upcoming Napoleon Bonaparte biopic ‘Napoleon’, which premiered in London on Thursday.

“It was exactly the same,” Scott said of working with Phoenix, jokingly adding “I like stress,” when asked what he liked about his leading man.

What to watch this November: ‘Dubai Bling’, ‘Napoleon’, ‘The Crown’

The film portrays Napoleon, a historical figure both revered and criticised in France, as a ruthless military tactician whose softer, vulnerable side was uncovered by his wife Josephine, played by British actress Vanessa Kirby.

In addition to collaborating with Phoenix, Scott said he also wanted to return to a theme he first explored in his feature film debut in 1977.

“In ‘The Duellists’ I end on Napoleon Bonaparte. That’s the reason why. I enjoy that part of France and the whole ambience of that culture. So, I wanted to go back to it completely with ‘Napoleon’,” he told Reuters on the red carpet.

Apple’s ‘Napoleon’ wows movie theater bosses at CinemaCon

The director, 85, whose long career includes hit films such as ‘Thelma & Louise’, ‘Alien’ and ‘The Martian’, said his production team was dedicated to making the historical epic look accurate.

“Every aspect of what you see from armoury to horses to saddles to hats, to the wardrobe, it’s all researched. I sit there like an octopus glomming all this stuff coming at me because they’ve researched everyone.”

“I’m like a child, I look at picture books. I go ‘I like that’. So, I don’t do anything.”

Filmed during the pandemic, Scott and his frequent collaborator for cinematography, Dariusz Wolski, orchestrated elaborate battle scenes, that recounted Napoleon’s conquests in Austerlitz and Moscow, and his famous defeat in Waterloo.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve made ‘The Last Duel’, ‘Gucci’, ‘Napoleon Bonaparte’, and I’m halfway through ‘Gladiator (2)’. We don’t stop. We ran that protecting it like an army. I had no COVID problems at all,” Scott said.

‘Napoleon’ is out in cinemas on Nov. 22.

Comments

Comments are closed.