CULTURE
First Look at Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott's Kitbag
Baku, March 12, AZERTAC
Joaquin Phoenix is making history as a man with a Napoleon complex, according to Movieweb.
Via People, the 47-year-old actor was seen on the London set of the new Ridley Scott movie Kitbag on Tuesday, March 8th, in costume as the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
This is the second time that Scott and Phoenix are teaming up for a big-screen extravaganza, the Academy Award-winner worked with the Alien director on the 2000 film Gladiator.
Kitbag was originally coming from 20th Century Studios, where Scott Free had its deal and is written by All the Money in the World screenwriter David Scarpa and produced by Scott and Kevin Walsh.
However, in 2021, when Scott's deal ended with 20th Century, the project became available to other major studios and Apple Studios auctioned the historical film.
When the movie was announced in 2020, the project was described as focusing on Napoleon's historic battles, ambitions, and strategy that made him a historic military leader. The title Kitbag comes from the saying, "There is a general’s staff hidden in every soldier’s kitbag."
“No actor could ever embody Napoleon like Joaquin,” Scott said.
Instead of the usual take, Kitbag will look at the leader through the prism of his addictive and volatile relationship with his wife and one true love Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby, who replaced Jodie Comer in the role.