Napoleon Trivia | 50 facts about the film

“Napoleon” is the new film by director Ridley Scott starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.

So let’s find out some trivia and facts about the film.

1. Napoleon is a 2023 epic historical drama film
2. It is directed and produced by Ridley Scott
3. The film is written by David Scarpa
4. Based on the true story of Napoleon Bonaparte
5. Primarily depicting the French leader’s rise to power as well as his relationship with Empress Joséphine
6. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine.
7. Following the completion of his film The Last Duel in October 2020, Scott announced Napoleon as his next project, with Phoenix cast in the titular role
8. Following delays and recasting due to the COVID-19 pandemic
9. Filming began in February 2022 in England
10. Lasting several months
11. In addition to writer David Scarpa, frequent Scott collaborators included cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and editor Claire Simpson
12. Napoleon premiered at Salle Pleyel in Paris on November 14, 2023
13. It was released in the United States and the United Kingdom on November 22, 2023, by Columbia Pictures and Apple Original Films, through Sony Pictures Releasing
14. The film will be streaming on Apple TV+ at a later date
15. The film received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for the performances, production design and cinematography
16. Though some noted its historical inaccuracies
17. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 60% rating
18. Based on 182 critics’ reviews
19. With an average rating of 6.3/10
20. The website’s consensus reads: “Ridley Scott is intent on proving the emperor has no clothes in Napoleon, a slyly funny epic with bravura set pieces whose divided runtime keeps it from outright conquering”
21. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100
22. Based on 56 critics
23. Indicating “generally favorable” reviews
24. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B−” on an A+ to F scale
25. While those polled by PostTrak gave it a 74% overall positive score
26. With 47% saying they would definitely recommend the film
27. On October 14, 2020, the same day his film The Last Duel (2021) wrapped filming, Ridley Scott announced Napoleon, at that point provisionally called Kitbag, as his next project for 20th Century Studios, which he would direct and produce from a screenplay written by Scott’s All the Money in the World (2017) collaborator David Scarpa
28. The film’s working title was derived from Bonaparte’s quote, “Every French soldier carries a Marshal’s baton in their knapsack”
29. Joaquin Phoenix was reportedly attached to star as the French general and emperor Napoléon, reuniting him with the director after Gladiator (2000)
30. Scott had Phoenix and another actor he has refused to reveal in mind to play Napoleón, but felt “blown away” by Phoenix’s remarkable performance in Joker (2019) and concluded that Phoenix could be an “amazing asset” for Napoleon, both creatively and commercially
31. In January 2021, Apple Studios announced its commitment to finance and produce the film, with shooting scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom in 2022
32. The Last Duel actress Jodie Comer was reportedly Scott’s first choice to play Joséphine
33. She entered negotiations to star in March 2021, confirmed her casting in September
34. The same month, Youssef Kerkour was confirmed to star
35. On January 4, 2022, Comer revealed her departure from the film due to scheduling changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
36. Vanessa Kirby was announced as her replacement later that day
37. On January 18, 2022, producer Kevin J. Walsh said the film had been retitled Napoleon
38. In February, Tahar Rahim was added to the cast, in the role of Paul Barras
39. The historian Lorris Chevalier, who worked on The Last Duel, became the historical advisor
40. Production began in February 2022
41. The film features six major battle sequences, unlike Waterloo (1970), another film featuring Napoleon, that focused on a single battle
42. Napoleon was shot under the working title Marengo, a reference to the Battle of Marengo (1800)
43. Filming took place in Lincoln, England in March 2022
44. The crew reportedly spent a week to prepare Lincoln Cathedral, which stood in for Notre-Dame de Paris
45. Shooting took place in the cathedral on March 17 and 18, between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
46. Filming also took place at other English locations: Stowe Avenue and House, Buckinghamshire, West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Petworth House, Sussex, Boughton House, Kettering and Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London
47. It was also shot in Malta for three weeks, starting in May 2022. Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara was transformed into the site of 1793’s siege of Toulon, where Napoleon had his first victory
48. The desert in the area of Merzouga in Morocco stood in for Egypt and the execution of Marie Antoinette was filmed at Peper Harow Park in Surrey
49. In the United States and Canada, Napoleon was released alongside Wish and the wide expansion of Saltburn
50. It was originally projected to gross around $33 million from 3,500 theaters over its five-day Thanksgiving opening weekend