Ridley Scott's upcoming historical epic, "Napoleon," is set to impress audiences with a special four-hour director's cut version exclusively for Apple TV+. The film journeys into the life and rise to power of French legend Napoleon Bonaparte, featuring stand-out actor Joaquin Phoenix as the leading man.

In his interview with Total Film, Scott divulged the struggle to trim the movie, but despite the attempts to reduce its length, the film still clocks in at over four hours. The extended cut is planned to go streaming on Apple TV+ after its theatrical release with Sony.

Besides Phoenix, the star-studded cast includes Vanessa Kirby as Josephine, along with Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, and Rupert Everett. The narrative extends into more depths of Josephine's life, prior to her meeting Napoleon. Phoenix commented on the plot, saying, “It’s an astonishing story. Hopefully we captured some of the most interesting moments.”

Scott applauded Phoenix for his commendable performance in "Joker," which motivated his selection for the role of Napoleon. Moreover, Scott confirmed that he wrapped up the filming of "Napoleon" in just 62 days utilizing his signature multi-camera approach. He plans to stay on this strategy while filming "Gladiator 2," the sequel to his Oscar-winning historical epic.

For more about Ridley Scott's take on Napoleon and some sneak peeks into the film, make sure to watch the Napoleon trailer or follow IGN's entertainment journalist and film critic, Ryan Leston, on his Twitter handle.