While Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ is far from the first film about the historical figure, it acts as an examination of the military commander’s beginnings and his quick, brutal ascent to the throne. The story unravels through the lens of his obsessive and frequently erratic marriage to Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), his one and only real love.

Produced by Apple Studios, the film was partially shot in various Maltese locations over the course of three weeks in May of last year. These include Attard, Senglea, Mellieħa, Siġġiewi, Mdina, Valletta, Fort Ricasoli, as well as the Malta Film Studios in Kalkara. Fort Ricasoli, in particular, was reconstructed to emulate the site of the Siege of Toulon in 1793, where a then 24-year-old Napoleon won his first major battle.

Notably, this is not the first film in Scott’s filmography to have been partially shot in Malta, as the survival drama ‘White Squall’ (1996) and the historical epic ‘Gladiator’ (2000) were both featured scenes shot in Maltese locations. What’s more, Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the titular character in the films, had previously come to Malta to star in Gladiator, making ‘Napoleon’ his second collaboration with Scott.