Denzel Washington to Play Ancient Warrior Hannibal in Netflix Historical Epic From Antoine Fuq

Posted by Martina Birk on Saturday, February 17, 2024

Denzel Washington is teaming up once again with his “Training Day” and “Equalizer” director Antoine Fuqua to play the ancient Carthaginian general Hannibal in an untitled Netflix movie, Variety has confirmed.

The film will be written by John Logan, the three-time Academy Award winner who scribed Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator” and Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.”

According to the official logline, the movie is “based on real-life warrior Hannibal, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in history. The film covers the pivotal battles he led against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.”

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Hannibal invaded Italy while riding a Northern African war elephant. Under his lead, the Carthaginians won key victories against the Romans, allowing Hannibal to occupy the majority of southern Italy for 15 years. Eventually, Hannibal was defeated by the Romans at the Battle of Zama after they counter-invaded North Africa.

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Washington produces the film alongside Erik Olsen, Adam Goldworm and Fuqua via his Hill District Media’s first-look deal with Netflix.

Fuqua most recently directed Washington in the action-thriller “The Equalizer 3,” in which Washington reprised his role as ex-Marine Robert McCall.

Washington is currently involved in another war epic, the upcoming sequel to Scott’s “Gladiator.” That movie had to pause production in Morocco due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, but the director recently revealed he had been editing 90 minutes of footage during the labor shutdown. Washington joins Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger and Pedro Pascal in the film, currently dated for November 2024.

Washington is represented by WME. Fuqua is repped by LBI Entertainment and WME.

Deadline first reported the news of the Hannibal project.

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