Few filmmakers love their director’s cuts quite like Ridley Scott. More than that, few filmmakers’ director’s cuts have a habit of being vastly superior to the theatrical editions than Scott’s do (as was the case with “Blade Runner” and especially the extended version of “Kingdom of Heaven,” which some cinephiles consider Scott’s masterpiece). It’s why everyone’s ears perked up when Scott casually mentioned that he’s been putting together a four-hour-long cut of “Napoleon” for its premiere on streaming.
For those who found the theatrical iteration of “Napoleon” to be lacking (even just north of two and a half hours), this director’s cut might just be the thing that gets them to change their tune about the film. The only question is, does Apple actually intend to make it available? Back in November 2023, producer Kevin J. Walsh pumped the brakes on the idea in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stating:
“That’s not official yet. The cut that is in theaters is the cut that’s going to stream on Apple. Downfield, there might be another thing to look at, and we have multiple longer cuts of the movie that are beautiful. But the movie that people see in the theater is the movie that’s going to stream on Apple in January.”
Bear in mind that Wright didn’t rule out the possibility entirely, so there’s still a chance the extra, extra-long version of “Napoleon” will see the light of day sometime this year. As always, we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.