First Footage of Joaquin Phoenix’s Epic Napoleon Movie Released Online

The first footage of Joaquin Phoenix’s new movie, Napoleon, is here, and it is incredible.

Napoleon marks the first-ever collaboration of Ridley Scott and Phoenix. The upcoming film is described as a historical action epic that will revolve around the story of the titular French military commander Napoleon Bonaparte. 

During this year’s CinemaCon last April, Sony film head Tom Rothman confirmed that Napoleon will have a “robust theatrical window and a full-throttle marketing campaign before moving to Apple TV+.”

During this year’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, snippets of footage from Ridley Scott’s Napoleon starring Academy Award-winning Joaquin Phoenix was released. 

The brief footage shows Phoenix in character as French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte aboard his ship: 

The footage can be seen below:

At CinemaCon in April, via The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the first footage of Napoleon was screened to attendees. 

The footage shows a scene on a snowy battlefield, with Napoleon leading enemy troops onto a frozen lake and then proceeding to rain cannon fire as soldiers fall into the water. 

Phoenix’s titular character then stands from a hilltop, witnessing the carnage unfolding. THR also noted that Phoenix didn’t seem to be speaking in a French accent in the movie. 

Napoleon is described as an “original and personal look at Napoleon’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 (a character played by Vanessa Kirby).”

The full synopsis, via Collider, can be seen below: 

“Napoleon” is an original and personal look at Napoleon’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. The film captures Napoleon’s famous battles, relentless ambition and astounding strategic mind as an extraordinary military leader and war visionary.”

Joining Phoenix and Kirby in the film’s stellar cast are Tahar Rahim, Matthew Needham, Ludivine Sagnier, and Ben Miles.

When Will Apple Studios Release Napoleon’s Trailer?

Despite being brief, Napoleon’s first footage managed to set the tone of Joaquin Phoenix’s historical epic.

The fact that Apple Studios already unveiled the short clip to the public could hint that a trailer will soon arrive online.

Releasing a trailer for Napoleon is crucial for Apple Studios, considering Sony head Tom Rothman’s recent comments about a “full-throttle marketing campaign.”

It’s possible that Napoleon‘s trailer will premiere sometime this summer, potentially in the latter half of June or August at the latest. 

Napoleon is set to have an exclusive theatrical run starting on November 22 before being made

Napoleon will be released exclusively in theaters across the globe in collaboration with Sony on November 22 before being made available on Apple TV+.