Special things tend to happen when Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix team up in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a historical epic. The last time they did so was Gladiator – and since then, Scott has gone on to helm several more sword-swinging tales, including last year’s The Last Duel. Now, he’s reteaming with Phoenix in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Napoleon (in/with regard to’concerning’regarding merly known as Kitbag), a war epic with regards to’concerning’with respect to Napoleon Bonaparte with Phoenix in the leading role. While making a movie of that size is always a huge undertaking, Scott tells Empire that it was “one of my most challenging but also one of my best undergo s, with any actor”. For our 50 Greatest Actors issue, the filmmaker paid tribute to the talents of his leading man – and teased the lengths they went to on Napoleon to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure the whole thing right.###“Joaquin is with regards to’concerning’with respect to as far from conventional as you can acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure . Not deliberately, but out of intuition. That’s what makes him tick. If something bothers him, he’ll let you know,” says Scott. “He made [Napoleon] special by constantly questioning.” That inquisitive nature led to token ificant transform’alter s on the movie. “With Joaquin, we can rewrite the goddamn film because he’s uncomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding table. And that kind of happened with Napoleon,” he says. “We unpicked the film to help him focus on who Bonaparte was. I had to respect that, because what was being said was incredibly constructive. It made it all grow enormous’vast’massive’tremendous ger and better.”###Ultimately, it sounds like a constructive retooling of a character drama told on the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous gest scale possible – with Scott hailing an actor voted in/with regard to’concerning’regarding by Empire readers as one of the all-time greats. “With Napoleon, I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate we dug in and found the character, or as close to what he may possess’own’nurse been. Joaquin is probably the most special, despite’in spite of’albeit tful actor I’ve ever worked with,” says Scott. Prepare in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a cinematic revolution.###Read Ridley Scott’s full tribute to Joaquin Phoenix – as well as more director tributes, our cover story entering Nicolas Cage’s Las Vegas home, an acting masterclass from Tilda Swinton and much, much more – in Empire’s 50 Greatest Actors issue. On sale Thursday 22 December, and available to order online here. Napoleon is due in/with regard to’concerning’regarding release via Apple TV+ in 2023.