's filmography over the past decade has been somewhat hit or miss, as much as the director's die-hard fans might argue against that point. For every hit like The Martian and Gladiator II, there have been flops like House of Gucci and Exodus: Gods and Kings. But one of Scott's recent releases receives far too much hate from film fans, and Apple TV+ users agree, as the film is shooting up the streaming charts. In 2023, Ridley Scott reunited with Joaquin Phoenix for one of his biggest movies to date: . While the film left critics divided, streaming fans are finally giving the film the attention it deserves.
Napoleon is currently streaming on Apple TV+, and the film is the 10th most popular movie on the streamer this week. The top spot is still held by Sydney Sweeney and Julianne Moore's Echo Valley, with Guy Ritchie's Fountain of Youth in second. Written by David Scarpa and directed by Scott, Napoleon details the rise and fall of the eponymous French emperor, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Like all of Scott's films, Napoleon featured a star-studded cast that included Vanessa Kirby, Rupert Everett, Tahar Rahim, Mark Bonnar, and Miles Jupp.
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When it was released in 2023, critics didn't know what to make of Napoleon. The film sits at a divided 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. General audiences were equally baffled by the film, as it also holds a 58% audience rating. MovieWeb's own, Julian Roman, wasn't impressed by the movie, calling it a "strangely plotted historical epic that provides no real insight or context into the central characters," in their review. The negative critical reception also hindered the film's box office potential. Napoleon grossed just $221 million, with just $61.5 million of that coming from the US and Canada, against an estimated budget of $200 million. It could be argued that the poor box office take was affected by audiences' reluctance to watch movies in theaters at the time, due to the COVID pandemic. But, it was the poor reviews that put the final nail in the coffin for Napoleon's box office efforts.
Even at 87, Ridley Scott shows no signs of slowing down. The director released Gladiator II in late 2024. The long-awaited legacy sequel starred Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington. While it didn't quite live up to the original, led by Russell Crowe, Gladiator II was still a decent hit.
In the pipeline, Ridley Scott has no less than five projects in the works. Scott's next project will place him in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The Dog Stars, starring Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Margaret Qualley, is Ridley Scott's next feature film and takes place in a world where a virus has wiped out almost all of humanity, and follows the remaining few who battle against the elements and themselves to survive. The movie is currently in production. Following that, Scott is also directing Wraiths of the Broken Land, You Should Be Dancing, and the TV mini-series, Roads to Freedom.
Source: FlixPatrol
