Ridley Scott’s Napoleon Already Has a 4.5-Hour Cut He Wants to Screen

Director Ridley Scott’s Napoleon epic has a 4.5-hour cut he’d like to someday screen.

Speaking with Empire Magazine, per World of Reel, Scott revealed he has a “fantastic” cut of Napoleon that is approximately 270 minutes long and gives Vanessa Kirby’s character more screen time.

According to Empire Magazine, Scott is hopeful that Apple Studios will eventually screen the 4.5-hour cut. However, he’s also excited for the world to see the 157-minute version releasing in theaters in November 2023.

“It’s an astonishing story,” Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Napoleon Bonaparte, said. “Hopefully we captured some of the most interesting moments.”

Joaquin Phoenix takes charge in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon

“Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix,” the official synopsis reads. “Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.”

Joining Phoenix and Kirby in Napoleon are Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, Youssef Kerkour, Phil Cornwell, Edouard Philipponnat, Ian McNeice, Paul Rhys, John Hollingworth, Gavin Spokes, and Mark Bonnar.

Written by David Scarpa, Napoleon is produced by Scott, Phoenix, Kevin J. Walsh, and Mark Huffam, while Raymond Kirk, Aidan Elliott, and Michael Press serve as executive producers.

Scott, known for directing Alien, Gladiator, The Last Duel, and many more, is no stranger to director’s cuts. Along with multiple versions of Blade Runner that have been put out over the course of his career, Scott has also released director’s cuts of Kingdom of Heaven, Legend, and more.

Napoleon hits theaters in the United States on November 22, 2023.