Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" achieves strong box office results across the globe

Not since the advent of film has a movie so bitterly divided audiences and critics. The protagonist of "Napoleon", a historically ambiguous figure, could be a plausible cause for this division.

Traditionally, one uses the long weekend during Thanksgiving as an opportunity to do some shopping and catch up on newly released films. This year, the animation "Wish" from Disney was projected to be the main draw during the last weekend of November. However, it only secured third place.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Birds and Snakes" claimed the title as the most popular film over the holiday weekend. The production has raked in nearly $100 million in the US over a span of ten days.

"Napoleon" snagged the second spot. This historical epic by Ridley Scott, with a budget upward of $200 million, was financed by Apple and will soon be available on their streaming platform. Despite its impending digital release, it hasn't discouraged viewers from experiencing the film in cinemas.

"Napoleon" has exceeded box office predictions. Over the four-day weekend, it amassed $32.5 million in the US alone. The film has also seen success in Europe. In the UK, it claimed $6.6 million in opening revenues. Despite unfavorable reviews from French critics, the film secured an impressive $5.6 million at the French box office. In response to the criticism received in Napoleon's home country, Ridley Scott retorted, "The French don't even like themselves".

In creating "Napoleon", Scott aimed to trace the steps of Stanley Kubrick, who sought to portray the French emperor as a skilled commander but also a ruthless, cruel "god of war".