creative freedom

Ridley Scott Isn’t Here to Make a Documentary

Photo: Christian Alminana/Getty Images

Ridley Scott is a man of many historical dramas, not a lot of documentaries. In a profile with The New Yorker, Scott reacts to some accuracy criticism from his upcoming film Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby. In response to a TikTok of TV historian Dan Snow explaining the historical inaccuracies in the trailer, Scott simply said, “Get a life.” Snow pointed out that Napoleon “didn’t shoot at the pyramids,” nor was he at the execution of Marie Antoinette. But this is a historical-drama movie. Why does Marie Antoinette have to serve bob? Hollywood is a literal industry that made magic real and Napoleon (in this movie) hot. Now, if Lady Gaga stopped by the set to give some pitches for alt scenes …

Ridley Scott Isn’t Here to Make a Documentary