Napoleon movie is a 2023 history adventure film, directed by Ridley Scott from the screenplay of David Scarpa, and is produced by Apple Original Films and Scott Free Productions.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix in the main role of the French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte, the film takes us on a journey through his life, and shows how he become an emperor from an ordinary soldier.
The movie also stars Vanessa Kirby as his wife Josephine, who can be seen wearing coloured silk costumes and satins in the French settings, but the actual shooting wasn’t done in France. So, where did they film all those amazing scenes? Let’s find out today.
Napoleon Movie Filming Locations
Napoleon movie was filmed in England, Malta, and even Morocco during spring 2022. The shooting began in February 2022 and wrapped after 62 days of filming.
Read on to discover the specific locations that stood in for famous historical landmarks and battlefields!
London, England, UK
Somerset House
The Somerset House building on the River Thames doubled as the square where the last French Queen, Marie Antoinette was executed.
St John’s Smith Square concert hall, Westminster
Step inside St John’s Smith Square concert hall in Westminster, and you’ll see the place they filmed scenes with the French revolutionary leader Robespierre.
This beautiful old church was rebuilt after World War II bombs damaged it. Walking around, you can picture what it was like during those crazy revolutionary times.
Called the “Sistine Chapel of the UK”, this breathtaking hall with its decorative Baroque ceiling art was used for filming the 1799 coup scenes in the movie.
It’s easy to imagine all the plotting and scheming that went on under that beautiful painted ceiling.
Petworth House, West Sussex
The 17th-century Petworth House served as Napoleon’s house in the movie. Explore this grand old house to daydream about living like an emperor!
West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire
West Wycombe Park’s 18th-century Palladian mansion doubled as the Chateau de Malmaison in the Napoleon movie.
As you stroll through the ornate rooms and perfectly manicured gardens, you can easily imagine Napoleon entertaining guests and making powerful decisions that shaped history within these very walls.
The splendor and grandeur of West Wycombe Park truly captures the extravagance of the era when Napoleon ruled as emperor of France.
Production team blended real footage from Hankley Common in Surrey and Bourne Woods with movie magic to recreate the huge Battle of Austerlitz in 1805.
Visiting these nature spots, you can picture the fighting and imagine cannon fire echoing through the trees.
HMS Victory, Plymouth
For a taste of Napoleon’s final defeat, go aboard the HMS Victory ship in Portsmouth.
They used this real old British warship to film the scene of Napoleon surrendering on the HMS Bellerophon. Walking the decks, you can feel his journey coming to an end.
England is a popular filming location among filmmakers. Some of the recent productions include The Regime, Argylle, Criminal Record, Good Grief, and The Beekeeper.
Valletta, Malta
Step into the winding, ancient streets of Valletta’s old quarter and you’ll be transported to the town of Toulon itself from the Napoleonic era.
The historic, limestone-paved alleyways doubled as the backdrop for pivotal scenes in Napoleon movie.
According to reports, the crew even went as far as constructing an authentic three-masted period warship just for the Malta filming to capture the maritime ambiance.
The 2023 Hallmark film The Dancing Detective, and the 2022 blockbuster movie Jurassic World Dominion was also shot in the capital city of Malta.
Mdina
The fortified citadel of Mdina played a central role, with its iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral square featuring in a scene of prisoners being released, as well as an intimate moment between Napoleon and his wife Josephine. Walking the same paths they did brings history vividly to life.
Mġarr
To depict Napoleon’s exile on the island of Elba, the filmmakers turned to the Ta’ Lippija Tower in the small village of Mġarr.
This coastal watchtower became the stand-in for those scenes of Napoleon’s temporary banishment, overlooking the Mediterranean just as Elba itself did.
Merzouga Desert, Morocco
To recreate Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign, the crew travelled to the Sahara’s Merzouga desert near the Moroccan-Algerian border.
Though the real Battle of the Pyramids took place near the Giza pyramids, the remote desert locations offered a sprawling backdrop for the vivid battle sequences.
Tourist Attractions Near Filming Locations
Near Somerset House, you can explore Covent Garden’s markets, street performers, restaurants and the Royal Opera House. The South Bank offers views of the Thames, the London Eye ferris wheel and the National Theatre.
With such an ambitious global canvas, the Napoleon movie production clearly went to great lengths to recreate some of the most iconic settings and events from the revolutionary general’s legendary life and career.
Napoleon Movie Cast
The cast of Napoleon movie includes:
- Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte
- Vanessa Kirby as Josephine Bonaparte
- Mark Bonnar as Junot
- Riana Duce as Lucille
- Paul Rhys as Talleyrand
- Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras
- Ben Miles as Caulaincourt
- Ludivine Sagnier as Theresa Cabarrus
- Edouard Philipponnat as Tsar Alexander
- Rupert Everett as Duke of Wellington
Where can I watch Napoleon movie?
The movie Napoleon is currently streaming on Apple TV+ inside the US & UK. Apple TV+ offer a 7-day free trial, and after that the subscription cost is $9.99 per month. You can watch all other Apple originals through that subscription.
