Let's write a Napoleon movie!

Taking up the challenge of crafting a top-notch screenplay treatment about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Alex Stevenson is joined by James Topham (who knows a thing or two about screenwriting) and Ben Deery (who knows a thing or two about acting) to put the movie world to rights. Having analysed the pitfalls and frustrations of Ridley Scott's Napoleon 2023 in the first season the Napoleon Movie Quarter-Hourly, this time round the team have to come up with the magic themselves.

They do not succeed in this opening episode. But the creative process is a messy one, it turns out, and our trio very much hope listeners will struggle through these opening lurches towards excellence in order to access the cinematic gold which, ultimately, lies at the culmination of this project.

As our resident AI bot N-AI-poleon Bot-aparte puts it:

• The team discusses what makes compelling screenwriting, focusing on the importance of theme, character, and narrative structure, and explores strategies for portraying Napoleon on screen

• Deliberation over Napoleon's core traits, debating insecurity, power, and the idea of him as an "addicted gambler" constantly pushing his luck, shapes the central approach to the script

• The hosts entertain genre-bending ideas—from a heist film to comedic undertones—while considering historical accuracy, key relationships (like with Josephine), and the inclusion of iconic antagonists such as Talleyrand

• Plans are set to collaboratively develop the screenplay “Napoleon: One Last Job” live on the podcast, tackling 15 pages at a time, blending their theatrical, historical, and screenwriting perspectives

Listeners are advised not to get too excited about the whole heist thing. That might not last too long.