Kitbag, the Ridley Scott film centered on Napoleon Bonaparte, will have to find a new leading lady. Jodie Comer, who was slated to play the role of the Emperor's first wife Josephine, has reportedly dropped out of the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, schedule changes and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic played a role in Comer’s exit.
“Unfortunately, due to COVID and changes of schedule, I don’t think I can make Kitbag work right now due to a scheduling conflict,” Comer told THR's Scott Feinberg on the Awards Chatter podcast. The actress didn't seem very enthused about the new developments hindering her ability to remain involved in the project, calling them "rubbish."
In Kitbag, Comer would have starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon. The film is described as centering around Bonaparte's rise to prominence in France both in the political sphere and through his many battles. The film is also purported to showcase the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine, whose marriage was annulled in 1810 by Napoleon due to a lack of heirs.
Comer’s exit will impact her reunion with Scott; she last worked with the acclaimed director on 2021's The Last Duel, for which the actress is already receiving awards buzz for her portrayal of Marguerite de Carrouges in that film. While The Last Duel was a box office bomb (earning only $30 million against a $100 million budget), the film nevertheless has garnered a slew of award nominations — especially for Comer, who was critically praised for her role opposite co-stars Matt Damon and Adam Driver.
WIth Comer out, Scott will have limited time to find a new actor to portray Josephine. Shooting for Kitbag is slated to begin later this month in Europe, which caused conflict with Comer’s schedule as she was slated to begin rehearsals for the stage play Prima Facie in March. Fans of Comer’s work won’t have to wait long to see her on the small screen, as she’s set to star in the fourth and final season of BBC America's Killing Eve opposite longtime co-star Sandra Oh, which will begin airing on February 27.
Kitbag is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2023.