Napoleon finally has a digital release date, which has made some wonder when Ridley Scott's blockbuster will begin its streaming run.
Originally released in theaters on November 22, 2023, Scott's Joaquin Phoenix-led Napoleonic epic debuted to middling reviews, not exactly proving to be the critical hit Apple thought it would be.
The film currently sits at a dismal 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned a meager $60 million at the domestic box office in its theatrical run.
Napoleon 2023 Movie's Digital Release Date
Ridley Scott's Napoleon has seemingly been given a digital release date, mere weeks after its big-screen debut.
As reported by When To Stream, the Napoleonic biopic is set to arrive on PVOD services (ie Apple, Amazon, Google) on Tuesday, January 9.
The studio behind the film (Apple) has yet to confirm this release date officially.
A January 9 digital release would mark 48 days since Napoleon came to theaters, which is fairly in line with other Apple Originals.
Apple's other big theatrical movie of 2023, Killers of the Flower Moon, was released digitally a mere 46 days after its big-screen debut.
No further release info has been given for Napoleon, including an indication of when a physical release may hit store shelves.
According to estimates, fans looking to pick the film up on Blu-ray, 4K UHD, or DVD can expect to see the film arrive physically sometime in February.
When Will Napoleon Come to Streaming?
Currently, no streaming release schedule has been made public for Napoleon.
As it is an Apple film, the streaming home for the historic drama will certainly be Apple TV+.
However, its streaming release date remains to be seen.
There is not a lot of precedent to go off of either for Apple's tentpole theatrical ventures.
As Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon are the studio's first two major stabs at the big screen, there is no knowing just how long it will be before the film starts streaming.
One would think given both Killers and Napoleon are being campaigned as Academy Award contenders for the studio, they would start streaming as early as possible to get the most positive momentum heading into Oscar season.
Currently, the 2024 Academy Awards nominations are set to be revealed on Tuesday, January 23 the nominee voting period happening between January 11 and 16.
If Apple were smart, the studio would have a film like Napoleon on the streaming service before that nomination period was over, to drum up as much positive word-of-mouth as possible.
Seeing most Academy voters will have seen the film (or have access to it) before nominations come out, another strategy Apple could employ is releasing the movie on Apple TV+ in early February to start a wave of momentum toward award voting and the Oscar ceremony proper on Sunday, March 10.
Napoleon is currently set to release digitally on Tuesday, January 9.
