See Joaquin Phoenix as 'emperor, lover, tyrant, legend' in epic trailer for Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon'

The film arrives in theaters Nov. 22.

July 10, 2023, 3:14 PM

An epic trailer for "Napoleon," starring Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix as the titular emperor, has been released.

The Sony Pictures and Apple Originals trailer shows Napoleon Bonaparte's arc as a gifted soldier who becomes the emperor of France, as well as his romance with his first wife Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby from "The Crown."

"I'm the first to admit when I make a mistake," he says in the trailer for the coming attraction, directed by Ridley Scott. "I simply never do."

According to the studio, the film tracks Napoleon'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."

The trailer lives up to the latter: It shows sweeping battle scenes, including what's considered Napoleon's greatest victory, 1805's Battle of Austerlitz, in which he trapped unwitting legions of his enemies on a frozen lake, then fired cannonballs into the ice, smashing it and sending thousands of Russian soldiers to a frigid, watery death.

"Napoleon" will be released in theaters on Nov. 22 by Sony Pictures, after which it will be available to stream on Apple TV+.