Al Pacino To Play Napoleon In Film Adaptation Of Children’s Book
Al Pacino has taken on a variety of real-life roles during his four-decade acting career: American bank robber John Wojtowicz (a.k.a. Sonny Wortzik in “Dog Day Afternoon”), NYPD officer Frank Serpico (”Serpico”), McCarthyist lawyer Roy Cohn (the TV miniseries “Angels in America”). Now, he can add Napoleon Bonaparte to that list.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pacino has signed on to play the famous French ruler in a big-screen adaptation of the children’s book “Betsy and the Emperor.”
Written by Staton Rabin, the book is based on the true story of Lucia Elizabeth Balcombe – known as Betsy to family and friends – who, as a teenager, befriended Napoleon during his exile on St. Helena and later penned a memoir about the experience.
The independent film will be directed by John Curran (”The Painted Veil”) and is expected to begin filming in late autumn.
This isn’t the only Napoleon and Betsy film in the works – as previously reported, “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson had signed on to play the lead in “Napoleon and Betsy” back in April. The film remains in pre-production, and its fate is unclear at the moment.
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