Ridley Scott Unveils Extended Napoleon Director’s Cut with Epic 3.5-Hour Runtime

Ridley Scott Unveils Extended Napoleon Director’s Cut with Epic 3.5-Hour Runtime

Get ready for a longer journey with Napoleon!

Ridley Scott’s acclaimed film Napoleon has just received a surprise director’s cut, which Apple TV+ released on Thursday. This extended version includes an additional 48 minutes of footage, pushing its runtime to an impressive 205 minutes. This new cut adds significant length to the theatrical version, which originally ran for 157 minutes.

Scott made the announcement with a playful video, greeting fans with a humorous remark about the script. “Hello, people of the internet!” he says, followed by a questioning glance at the phrase. He then shares his excitement: “I’m thrilled to announce that Napoleon: The Director’s Cut is now exclusively available on Apple TV+, featuring newly added scenes that broaden the epic scope of this film. Watch it now!”

True to his candid style, Scott concludes the video with, “F—in’ great, that’s good for me,” showcasing his signature gruff demeanor.

Interestingly, this 205-minute runtime is still shorter than Scott’s original vision for the film. During the promotional tour for the theatrical release in October, Scott revealed to Total Film that his initial cut of the movie was a staggering 250 minutes long, or 4 hours and 10 minutes.

Napoleon features Joaquin Phoenix, Scott’s collaborator from Gladiator, in the title role. The film delves into Napoleon Bonaparte’s complex relationship with his wife, Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby, and depicts several dramatic battles from his military career. The film earned three Oscar nominations: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects.

This new director’s cut arrives just as Scott is preparing to release his next major project, Gladiator II. The highly anticipated sequel to his Best Picture winner will feature Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn.

Ridley Scott is well-known for his extensive use of director’s cuts. Out of his 28 feature films, 11 have been released in some form of extended cut (though not all are labeled as director’s cuts). These include classics such as Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster, Robin Hood, The Counselor, The Martian, and now Napoleon. Fans often regard some of these extended versions—especially Blade Runner and Kingdom of Heaven—as superior to their theatrical counterparts. Additionally, Scott has hinted at even longer versions of some films, such as Black Rain, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci.

At 3.5 hours, Napoleon: The Director’s Cut now stands as Scott’s longest film, surpassing the director’s cut of Kingdom of Heaven, which runs for 189 minutes (or 194 minutes with roadshow additions).

You can now stream Napoleon: The Director’s Cut exclusively on Apple TV+.

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