Al Pacino has said that playing Napoleon Bonaparte was a long-held ambition, but the project never materialised. The article presents it as a notable missed role for the actor, whose career has included many celebrated parts but relatively little control over developing his own films.

In 2015, Pacino said a script about Napoleon’s final years on Saint Helena had brought the idea close to production. However, Napoleon died aged 51, while Pacino was already in his mid-70s when he discussed the project and is now in his late 80s, making the prospect unlikely. Pacino had previously directed and produced a small number of independent projects, but none provided a route to realise the Napoleon film.