Ridley Scott has chopped down his Napoleon director’s cut, but it's still over 4 hours

Ridley Scott is no stranger to a director's cut, and his upcoming movie Napoleon will be no different.

The director, known for an incredible body of work that includes Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner, has been open about his plans for a director's cut of his new film, Napoleon. Now, he's given Total Film magazine an update on how it's looking in our celebration issue.

"I’m working on it. It was four [hours] 10 [minutes] this morning," Scott tells us in the new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, October 12. "And so what will happen is, we’ll screen [the theatrical cut] first with Sony, and then it has its run, and then the perfect thing is that [the director’s cut] goes to streaming, and we have four hours 10 minutes."

Napoleon focuses on the French emperor's rise to power (and tremendous fall) within the context of his relationship with Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). The film marks a reunion with Gladiator actor Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the French leader. It also stars Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, and Rupert Everett. 

The directors' cut isn't the only tease that Scott had for his upcoming drama. He also opens up to Total Film about how he managed to film it in just 62 days, which included the staging of six epic battles. 

"Every scene is geometry," he explains. "By having 11 to 14 cameras, we shot Napoleon in 62 days. I’m doing Gladiator 2 now in 54 days, because I’m not doing 50 takes with one camera, on one shot, and then turning around."

• Preorder the Ridley Scott issue of Total Film now

Napoleon opens in cinemas on November 22. For much more on the film and Ridley Scott’s career, pick up a copy of the news issue of Total Film when it hits shelves on October 12. Check out the covers below:

Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. With our latest offer, you can get a JOBY Magnetic Wireless Charger worth £29.95 when you take out a print/bundle subscription. You'll also get exclusive subscriber-only covers (like the one on the right, above).