Ridley Scott has revealed Joaquin Phoenix “didn’t know what to do” two weeks earlier than filming was set to start on Napoleon.

The brand new movie, which might be launched in UK cinemas on November 22, sees Phoenix play the lead function of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Talking in regards to the Joker actor forward of filming, Scott advised Empire: “He’ll are available in, and also you’re fucking two weeks’ out, and he’ll say, ‘I don’t know what to do’. I’ll say, ‘What?!’ ‘I don’t know what to do.’ Oh God. I mentioned, ‘Are available, sit down.’ We sat for 10 days, all day, speaking scene by scene. In a way, we rehearsed. Completely element by element.”

Phoenix, who beforehand labored with Scott greater than 20 years in the past on the set of the traditional 2000 movie Gladiator, mentioned he was delighted to reunite with Scott once more.

“The reality is, there was only a very nostalgic thought of working with Ridley once more,” Phoenix added. “I had such an unbelievable expertise working with Ridley on Gladiator, and I used to be so younger. It was my first massive manufacturing. I actually yearned for that have once more, or one thing comparable.”

He continued: “He’s approached me about different issues prior to now, however nothing that felt like it might be as demanding for each of us. And so I actually favored the concept of leaping into one thing with Ridley that was going to be that.”

Napoleon started manufacturing in February 2022, and wrapped filming inside the identical yr.

In a earlier interview with Empire, Scott mentioned how casting Phoenix additionally led him to rewrite the script for the movie halfway by means of manufacturing.

“Joaquin is about as removed from typical as you may get,” the director mentioned on the time. “Not intentionally, however out of instinct. That’s what makes him tick. If one thing bothers him, he’ll let you already know. He made [Napoleon] particular by continuously questioning.”

He continued: “With Joaquin, we are able to rewrite the goddamn movie as a result of he’s uncomfortable. And that form of occurred with Napoleon. We unpicked the movie to assist him concentrate on who Bonaparte was. I needed to respect that, as a result of what was being mentioned was extremely constructive. It made all of it develop larger and higher.”

A trailer for the movie dropped earlier this month.