Ridley Scott's New 158-Minute Epic Crowned Apple TV's Latest Streaming Sensation!
Ridley Scott is poised for a sci-fi comeback with "The Dog Stars" after a string of historical epics. His recent film "Napoleon," starring Joaquin Phoenix, initially underperformed but is now experiencing a significant resurgence on streaming platforms, benefiting from renewed interest in historical blockbusters.
Renowned director Ridley Scott is set to make a significant return to the science fiction genre this year with his upcoming film, The Dog Stars, featuring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. This marks his first foray into sci-fi since the 2017 release of Alien: Covenant, which garnered a lukewarm reception at the box office. In recent years, Scott has predominantly focused on historical epics, including Gladiator II, although these ventures have not achieved significant commercial breakthroughs.
Among his recent historical productions, The Last Duel, despite receiving excellent reviews, emerged as one of the biggest commercial flops of Scott's career. However, the film has since developed a strong cult following, indicating its critical appreciation. Another period epic directed by Scott two years later, Napoleon, also initially underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately $222 million worldwide against a reported budget of $200 million. This film was released theatrically in 2023, the same year Christopher Nolan debuted Oppenheimer, which went on to gross around three times as much, despite Scott's film costing twice as much to produce.
Napoleon, a darkly humorous biopic focusing on the complex French general, starred Joaquin Phoenix in a pivotal role following his Oscar-winning performance in Joker. Interestingly, Phoenix reportedly almost exited the production just before filming began, only returning after uncredited script rewrites by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film also featured Vanessa Kirby and holds a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a consensus highlighting its "slyly funny epic with bravura set pieces and a divided runtime that keeps it from outright conquering."
Despite its initial box-office struggles, Napoleon appears to be experiencing a resurgence on streaming platforms. This renewed interest seems to be part of a broader trend, potentially ignited by the wave of enthusiasm for old-fashioned Hollywood epics following Christopher Nolan's successful films like Oppenheimer. According to FlixPatrol, Napoleon is currently among the most-watched movies globally on Apple TV, surpassing other popular titles such as Greyhound and Fountain of Youth. The movie was produced by Apple Studios and distributed in theaters by Sony, a strategy also employed for films like F1 and Argylle, demonstrating Apple's commitment to big-screen releases.