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Known for cinematic masterpieces likeAlienandGladiator, Ridley Scott is undoubtedly one of the best filmmakers in the industry. He is returning to the silver screen with his latest film,Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role alongside Vanessa Kirby. And the movie has piqued the interest of historians and experts ahead of its release, as they spotted some historical inaccuracies in its trailer.

Napoleon

The French critics also joined in on the criticism following its early screenings and have pointed out their issues in their reviews. Despite the critical feedback, the filmmaker is unbothered and went on to boldly respond to the critics during an interview with BBC.

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Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix behind the scenes on the sets of Napoleon

Ridley Scott’s Bold Response toNapoleon’sCriticism

Ridley Scott’supcoming filmNapoleonhad its world premiere in the French capital, Paris, this week. While the movie has received pretty well in the UK, the French critics have slammed the film, calling it “Barbie and Ken under the Empire.”

Other French critics also called the movie“very anti-French and pro-British.”The Oscar-nominated director was asked about the negative reception his upcoming film is getting in France, and he bashed the critics during a recent conversation withBBC.

Joaquin Phoenix slapped Vanessa Kirby in Napoleon

“The French don’t even like themselves,”he said before adding,“The audience that I showed it to in Paris. They loved it.”The movie follows the story of Napoleon Bonaparte, spread over six separate battles. Scott reportedly shot the film in 61 days, and it is 2 hours 38 minutes long.

This is not the first time theAliendirector has boldly responded to the movie’s critics. “Were you there? Oh, you weren’t there. Then how do you know?”he said during a recent interview withThe Sunday Timesresponding to historians who called out the movie’s historical inaccuracies.

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker

Read More:“He needs to just focus on Gladiator”: Ridley Scott Refuses To Accept ‘Napoleon’ Inaccuracies, Takes His Crusade To Historians To Save Face

Ridley Scott on Casting Joaquin Phoenix inNapoleon

Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix have collaborated on the Academy Award-winning filmGladiator. And he decided to cast him in the lead role in his upcoming movie after seeing his performance inJoker.“I was blown away by his outrageous film Joker. I didn’t like the way it celebrated violence, but Joaquin was remarkable,”he shared in aninterview.

His performance in the 2019 film made Scott realize that Phoenix could be“an amazing asset to Napoleon”not only creatively but also commercially. However, he also shared that he had another actor in mind for the lead role inNapoleon.“There were only two actors I had in mind for the role,”he said. But he did not reveal the second name.

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Napoleonis set to release on 22nd November 2023.

Read More:Joaquin Phoenix May be Still So in Character He Walked Out of His Own Movie Screening

Laxmi Rajput

Senior Writer

Articles Published :3448

Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.

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Joaquin PhoenixRidley ScottVanessa Kirby