Three years after The Equalizer 3, Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington are ready to make their next movie.
According to Variety, Fuqua’s untitled Netflix movie starring Washington as Carthaginian general Hannibal is finally set to begin production this summer in Italy, with the production based at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios.
Pre-production and location scouting on the historical epic are already underway in Italy, where the bulk of the lavish shoot is expected to take place. John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) wrote the screenplay. Robert Richardson will serve as cinematographer.
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.”
When the Hannibal epic was first announced in 2023, Washington’s casting sparked controversy in Tunisia, the birthplace of the general, largely over the actor’s skin tone. While Hannibal’s skin tone is not known, historians tend to agree that he was of Phoenician descent – a region encompassing modern Lebanon and Syria – although he lived during a time of great empires and intermixing.
The untitled movie will mark Fuqua’s sixth collaboration with Washington, after Training Day (2001), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and The Equalizer trilogy (2014-23). Fuqua’s latest movie, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, hits theaters on April 24, 2026.
No word yet on when Netflix might be eyeing to release the Hannibal epic, although late 2027 during “Oscars season” seems like a safe guess. We’ll keep you posted.
Are you interested in a movie about Hannibal starring Washington?
