Vanessa Kirby may be heading to France for her next role. According to Deadline, the Oscar-nominated actor is in talks to star as Empress Josephine in Ridley Scott’s upcoming drama movie Kitbag – a historical film centred around the French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte, who will be played by Joaquin Phoenix.
According to IMDb, the synopsis for Kitbag reads: “The film is an original and personal look at Napoleon Bonaparte’s origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.” Previously, the part of Josephine was set to fall to Jodie Comer (Free Guy). However, due to scheduling conflicts, the star had to retract her involvement in the production – leaving an opening in the cast roster that Scott seems eager to fill.
Deadline reports that the director has wasted no time in replacing Comer. Kirby’s representatives are currently negotiating a deal for the actor to be a part of the historical drama, which is scheduled to begin production this spring.
If Kirby secures the part, this won’t be her first time living the life of royalty. The actor is known for her work on the acclaimed Netflix TV series The Crown, where she portrayed Princess Margaret for the show’s first two seasons. Since then, she has also been snagging up work left, right and centre – earning an Oscar nomination for the 2020 film Pieces of a Woman.
Besides the possible Josephine role in Kitbag, Kirby is scheduled to star in the thriller movie Suddenly alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and in the next two Mission: Impossible spy movies, reprising her role as The White Widow. Only time will tell if Scott can bag the talented star for Kitbag, but we are curious to see how the two talented actors, Kirby and Phoenix, work together, to say the least.
We will be sure to keep you posted on any new updates. In the meantime, why not look over our guide to the best war movies of all time.