The Emperor's New Clothes
Movie · Comedy · Drama

Napoleon Bonaparte - defeated, powerless and exiled to the island of St. Helena to live out the rest of his life in lonely, faded isolation. Or was he? This whimsical, captivating, romantic comedy presents a decidedly different version of the events that shaped the course of history! Determined to retake the crown, Napoleon swaps places with Eugene Lenormand, a look-alike commoner. But Napoleon's journey back to Paris takes more twists and turns than ever imagined. Meanwhile, Lenormand finds his glamorous new role much too rewarding to ever admit the deception! So, while France's famed leader struggles to adapt to the simple life of a commoner, the once-lowly Lenormand takes his newfound "stardom" to laugh-provoking new heights. Acclaimed actor Ian Holm (The Lord of the Rings, Chariots of Fire) gives a bravura dual performance as both Napoleon and Lenormand in this delightful comedy of swapped roles and mistaken identities.

2002 · 1h 46m
  • 73%
Starring Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny
Director Alan Taylor

Trailers

  • The Emperor's New Clothes
    The Emperor's New Clothes
    Comedy

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Cast & Crew

  • Ian Holm
    Napoleon Bonaparte/Eugene Lenormand
  • Iben Hjejle
    Pumpkin
  • Tim McInnerny
    Dr. Lambert
  • Tom Watson
    Gerard
  • Nigel Terry
    Montholon
  • Hugh Bonneville
    Bertrand
  • Murray Melvin
    Antommarchi
  • Eddie Marsan
    Marchand
  • Clive Russell
    Bommel
  • Alan Taylor
    Director
  • Uberto Pasolini
    Producer

About

The Emperor's New Clothes

Comedy

Napoleon Bonaparte - defeated, powerless and exiled to the island of St. Helena to live out the rest of his life in lonely, faded isolation. Or was he? This whimsical, captivating, romantic comedy presents a decidedly different version of the events that shaped the course of history! Determined to retake the crown, Napoleon swaps places with Eugene Lenormand, a look-alike commoner. But Napoleon's journey back to Paris takes more twists and turns than ever imagined. Meanwhile, Lenormand finds his glamorous new role much too rewarding to ever admit the deception! So, while France's famed leader struggles to adapt to the simple life of a commoner, the once-lowly Lenormand takes his newfound "stardom" to laugh-provoking new heights. Acclaimed actor Ian Holm (The Lord of the Rings, Chariots of Fire) gives a bravura dual performance as both Napoleon and Lenormand in this delightful comedy of swapped roles and mistaken identities.

73%

TOMATOMETER
Average 6.8
Reviews 85
Fresh 62
Rotten 23

Information

Studio
Paramount
Released
2002
Run Time
1 hr 46 min
Rated
PG For brief language.
Regions of Origin
United States, Italy
© 2007 TM & Copyright by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (United Kingdom) (⁨Dolby 5.1⁩, AAC)

Subtitles

English (United Kingdom) (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
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