UPDATE: A source is telling me that “Killers of the Flower Moon” is much more ready than “Napoleon” and that he’d be shocked if Scott’s epic was released in 2022. This at least gives me some hope for the Scorsese!
My bet is that Apple is just muddying up the waters and that they themselves have no clue what they will do with “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Emancipation” and “Napoleon.”
EARLIER: The Ankler’s Tatiana Siegel surprised many with her latest report this early afternoon.
Spiegel is being told that Apple is now considering a December release for Ridley Scott's “Napoleon”, fearing that “The Slap” is still too fresh in the public's mind to release “Emancipation”.
Her sources are saying that the folks over at Apple, with unlimited resources, are thinking hard about a potential Christmas release for Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” in a bid to crash the upcoming Oscar race.
Scott’s epic started shooting in February and wrapped up production in May. ”Napoleon” stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as his wife, Josephine aka “Kitbag.” The film is based on a screenplay by David Scarpa, who teamed up with with Scott in 2017 on the more-than-decent “All the Money in the World.”
Scott will be shooting the “Gladiator” sequel this fall, there is no reason to think that 8 months of post-production wasn’t enough to deliver “Napoleon” on time for a December release. We’re not talking about Thelma and Marty here.
Apple really, desperately, wants a Oscar horse this year. “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” has failed. “Cha Cha Real Smooth” just wasn’t the breakout they thought it would be. “Emancipation” has Will Smith. They need something. Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” still hasn’t been dated, but I still have some hope. Their game of musical chairs has now landed on “Napoleon.”
The Ankler’s Jeff Sneider tweeted Apple’s game plan:
For weeks I've been told Apple was gonna splash the pot this awards season by releasing one of its Big 3 titles (Emancipation, Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon). The streamer could've rolled over for Spielberg but they refuse to just let THE FABELMANS run away with the race.
The bottom line? The Oscar race might just be heating up and maybe Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” will have some top-notch competition for the big prize.