Forget The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott’s $200 Million Disappointment From 2023 Is Officially a Streaming Hit

Ridley Scott may have The Dog Stars fighting an uphill battle in theaters, but one of his costliest disappointments has found a surprisingly sturdy second life. Napoleon, the 2023 historical epic starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, is back among Apple TV’s most-watched movies across multiple countries.

As of September 1, 2026, Napoleon had spent 244 days inside Apple TV’s Top 10 movie charts across tracked markets, accumulating nearly 40,000 chart points, according to FlixPatrol. It currently sits at No. 2 in Argentina, Belgium, Mexico, and the Netherlands, while remaining inside the Top 10 across several European and Asian territories. Apple TV continues streaming both Scott’s theatrical version and the expanded Director’s Cut. That is a far kinder reception than the movie received during its original box-office campaign.

Napoleon Lost in Theaters but Won on Streaming

A still from Napoleon (2023) | Credit: Columbia Pictures

The numbers explain why Napoleon earned the disappointment label. Variety reported that Apple spent heavily on Scott’s epic, while industry estimates placed its production budget at roughly $200 million. The film earned about $221 million worldwide during its theatrical run. That theatrical total looked bruising against the price tag, although an Apple source later told Variety that Napoleon had become profitable once ancillary revenue was included. Apple’s strategy was never built around ticket sales alone; the company viewed theatrical releases as a way to build awareness before bringing major films home to subscribers.

Critics were divided too. Napoleon sits at 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience score also at 58%. Scott never seemed especially bothered by complaints about historical liberties. Asked about accuracy during promotion, he fired back (via Forbes), “Were you there?” We still think Kirby gives the film its sharpest edge as Joséphine, but streaming is probably where Scott’s enormous battle sequences and deliberately odd Phoenix performance were always going to enjoy their longest shelf life.

For anyone who skipped Napoleon the first time around, Scott’s film traces Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise from ambitious military officer to French emperor, his major campaigns, and his eventual fall, with Joaquin Phoenix playing Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine. Apple describes the movie as viewing his ascent and military ambition through his volatile relationship with Joséphine, so the film moves between enormous battlefield set pieces and a marriage that is frequently as combative as the wars around them.

The Dog Stars Makes Napoleon’s Comeback Look Better

Margaret Qualley in The Dog Stars / Credits: 20th Century Studios

Scott’s newest release has stumbled much earlier. The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley, opened to roughly $8 million domestically against a reported $80 million budget, according to Vulture. Its critical reception has not offered much shelter either. The post-apocalyptic thriller currently holds 39% from critics and 71% from verified audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Scott nevertheless approached the film with a very different ambition. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, he described it as hopeful, while telling Reuters that optimism was “Essential, essential, essential.”

Elordi was equally enthusiastic about working with Scott, telling ABC that shooting with him was “a true filmmaking experience.” For now, though, Napoleon has the sweeter streaming story. The emperor lost his theatrical campaign, yet nearly three years later, audiences are still pressing play. The Dog Stars goes in a completely different direction. Based on Peter Heller’s novel, the post-apocalyptic drama follows Hig, played by Jacob Elordi, a pilot living in isolation with hardened survivalist Bangley, played by Josh Brolin, after a pandemic devastates civilization.

Margaret Qualley enters that journey as Cima, a former medical student living with her father, played by Guy Pearce, while Scott has said the bond between Hig and his dog Jasper was one of the elements he considered crucial to preserve from Heller’s book. Would you revisit Napoleon before watching The Dog Stars? Tell us below, and follow FandomWire for more streaming and box-office updates.