Ridley Scott was illuminated to cast Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon after seeing him in Joker. The Gladiator director reunited with Commodus in the film about the historical French leader. “I’m staring at Joaquin and saying, ‘This little demon is Napoleon Bonaparte.’ He looks like him,” Scott told Empire Magazine.
Scott says that he compares Napoleon with “Alexander The Great. Adolf Hitler. Stalin.” “Listen, he’s got a lot of bad shit under his belt.
At the same time, he was remarkable with his courage, and in his can-do, and in his dominance. He was extraordinary,” the filmmaker added.
Phoenix told the outlet “There was just a very nostalgic idea of working with Ridley again” after having “an incredible experience” filming Gladiator. “I was so young.
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