Stanley Kubrick's unfulfilled obsession with writing and producing a film about Napoleon is to be documented in a new book.

The late director's executive producer Jan Harlan is working on the book with his sister, Kubrick's widow Christiana, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

From 1969 until his death, Stanley was fascinated by Napoleon

Jan Harlan

The book will be titled Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon - His Greatest Film Never Made, reflecting the potential the film could have had if it had gone into production.

It is set to act as a tribute to the career of the reclusive Kubrick, who died in 1999 at the age of 70.

Mr Harlan worked with Kubrick for more than 30 years, producing films such as A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut.

Following the death of his brother-in-law he directed a retrospective movie - Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures - featuring a host of Hollywood stars who had worked with him over the years.

Presenting the film at the Moscow International Film Festival, he explained the passion Kubrick had for the life of the French leader.

Vanity

Kubrick collected more than 18,000 books and documents relating to Napoleon and took 7,000 location shots from Britain, Romania and France during his 30-year mission to create a film.

Kubrick withdrew A Clockwork Orange because of criticism over its violence

"From 1969 until his death, Stanley was fascinated by Napoleon," Mr Harlan told the Hollywood Reporter.

"Although Kubrick films are very different in form, there is a common denominator - the human folly and vanity built into our species that appears to be our downfall.

"Napoleon interested Stanley very much because here was a man with a huge talent and tremendous charisma who in the end failed only because of his emotions and vanity. Napoleon was not able to control his emotions - it was his Achilles' heel."

Mr Harlan added that he doubted the film would ever be made because it would require such a large budget.