If we were to tell you that Al Pacino — aka Scarface, aka the Godfather, Michael Corleone, and Carlito — has been cast as the notorious 19th-century French emperor and military conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte, what cinematic visions come to mind?

Pacino, one hand snug in his waistcoat, the other brandishing a bayonet as he primes his troops for battle: “We’re gonna take a flamethrower (OK, flaming cannon) to Europe.” Imagine him galloping at the head of a cavalry charge, shouting his ferocious war cry, “Here comes the pain!” Or meeting, post-victory, with Europe’s defeated leaders to make them offers they can’t refuse.

Well, Pacino’s not going to be playing that kind of Napoleon (maybe next time). Instead he’s in the adaptation of Staton Rabin’s children’s book, Betsy and the Emperor, directed by The Painted Veil’s John Curran. The story is about Napoleon’s historically documented friendship with the 14-year-old daughter of the owner of the guesthouse he was exiled to on the island of St. Helena. The rebellious young lady befriends “Boney” and the pair’s bond blossoms during whist games, waltzing and hot-air balloon rides.

Is playing this deserted, humiliated and destitute nice-guy Napoleon in the winter of his life a sign that Pacino’s golden days of cinematic guts and glory have passed? (Or perhaps Al’s just too old for that gangster sh*t?) That he’s now in his golden years of more grandfatherly roles? Was Righteous Kill the anticlimactic end of an explosive era? Or has a new level of artistic maturity inspired him to explore more of his sensitive side, which he showed us in films like Dog Day Afternoon and Scent of a Woman? (What’s more sensitive than robbing a bank to pay for your lover’s sex change operation?).

Then again there’s still Herod. Variety reports Pacino is in talks to play the biblical bad guy in 2010′s Mary, Mother of Christ to be directed by The Lake House‘s Alejandro Agresti and starring Push‘s Camilla Belle as the virgin mother.

Or … if you’re not pleased with Pacino’s Napoleon, or find the film’s tween companionship too tame, rumor has it Hollywood has a spicier Napoleon and Betsy in the oven. A period-pierce romance written and directed by Benjamin Ross, starring Potter pal Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) as Betsy. No word on who will play her 40-something amour. For Emma’s sake let’s hope it’s someone more like Christian Bale, and less like Danny DeVito doing his best Get Shorty Bonaparte. Creepy!

Here’s hoping they give Hermione/Betsy a magic wand.

Tags: al pacino, napoleon