There are few actors working today who are quite as mercurial as Joaquin Phoenix; one can only imagine the whiplash that would come with going from Joker’s Arthur Fleck to the soft-spoken Johnny in C’mon C’mon before taking up the lead role in Beau Is Afraid, of all things.
And that train has only continued, with the Gladiator star’s most recent turn being the one and only Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon, which blended bombastic Revolution-era combat with a dizzying love story, all with Phoenix at the forefront.
It hasn’t exactly hit the mark with critics since it released to theaters back in late November, but a poor critical score hardly ever translates to a lack of streaming interest, and Phoenix and Scott enthusiasts alike would surely want to give this one a shot just out of principle.
But, if you’re one of these people, you might not want to count on Netflix to deliver the goods.
Will Napoleon release to Netflix?
Napoleon is an Apple-produced film, meaning the streaming rights belong exclusively to Apple TV+, where the film has been cozily nestled at the top of the streamer’s most-watched list since its streaming release on March 1, 2024.
The film is, of course, available to buy or rent from such platforms as YouTube, Google, and Prime Video, but just don’t expect that monthly Netflix fee to ever cover a viewing of this one.
Alongside Phoenix, Napoleon stars Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine Bonaparte, Napoleon’s former wife who plays a major role in the story told by the film. Tahar Rahim, Rupert Everett, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, John Hollingworth, Youssef Kerkour, and Sinéad Cusack also feature, with Catherine Walker portraying Marie Antoinette.
During its theatrical run, the film grossed $220.9 million against a reported budget as high as $200 million, so that chart domination is more than welcome indeed.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
