Ridley Scott loved Joaquin Phoenix in Joker despite not liking the movie

Ridley Scott wasn't a fan of the violence in Joker, but Joaquin Phoenix's performance was impressive enough that the legendary director cast him in Napoleon.

In 2000, Phoenix earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Emperor Commodus in Gladiator, which was directed by Scott.

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Over two decades later, the pair are back with another historical tale, focused on the life of the infamous military figure, Napoleon Bonaparte. Phoenix was allegedly one of two actors that Scott had in mind for the part.

"I was blown away by his outrageous film Joker," Scott told Deadline.

"I didn’t like the way it celebrated violence but Joaquin was remarkable. I thought he’d be an amazing asset to Napoleon, also in a commercial sense. There were only two actors I had in mind for the role. I won’t mention the other one.”

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Napoleon (2023)

During the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte quickly rises through the military ranks. As a general, he seizes power in a coup in 1799 and is crowned leader. He decides to wage war against European nations and expands his empire. Meanwhile, he also tries to impress his adulterous wife Joséphine, with whom he has a volatile relationship.

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby and Tahar Rahim

The official premise reads:

'A look at the military commander'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.'

Phoenix stars as Napoleon alongside Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, Youssef Kerkour, Phil Cornwell, Ian McNeice, Paul Rhys, John Hollingworth and Mark Bonnar.

According to reports, Napoleon will feature six major battle sequences.

Phoenix delighted to be working with Scott again

During the production, Phoenix spoke of working with Scott again, saying to Empire:

“The truth is, there was just a very nostalgic idea of working with Ridley again.

“I had such an incredible experience working with Ridley on Gladiator, and I was so young. It was my first big production. I really yearned for that experience again, or something similar. He’s approached me about other things in the past, but nothing that felt like it would be as demanding for both of us.

The historical epic will be theatrically released in cinemas by Sony before becoming available on Apple+ in November of 2023.