Kubrick, being a meticulous and single-minded fellow, read hundreds of books on Napoleon and created an entire card catalog, in which he mapped out the goings-on of the French military leader's inner circle. He wanted to create a film for the ages, something that could surpass the success of his then recently completed sci-fi masterpiece 2001. David Hemmings , who played the photographer in Blow Up, was Kubrick's first pick for Napoleon, and Audrey Hepburn seemed like the perfect Josephine. Kubrick wanted to film large parts of the historical tale on location in France, with the battle scenes set in Romania. The Romanian army even promised him thousands upon thousands of soldiers and cavalrymen at his disposal. Unfortunately, his large-scale vision was shelved due to massive location fees, and the successes and failures of similar films released at that time — including War and Peace and Waterloo . Kubrick's research wasn't for naught. He used some of the information to help inform his 1975 film Barry Lyndon. The project was often discussed up until his death, but sadly nothing ever came of it.