Denzel Washington is set to play Hannibal in a historical epic to be directed by Antoine Fuqua

Denzel Washington, two-time Academy Award winner, has signed on to play Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who famously led an army of warriors and elephants across the Alps to fight the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.

Hannibal was one of the sons of Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian leader, and an unknown mother. He was born in what is present-day northern Tunisia, one of many Mediterranean regions colonised by the Canaanites from their homelands in Phoenicia, a region corresponding with the Mediterranean coasts of modern Lebanon and Syria. He was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. In 218 BC, Hannibal attacked Saguntum (modern Sagunt, Spain), an ally of Rome, in Hispania, sparking the Second Punic War. Hannibal invaded Italy by crossing the Alps with North African war elephants. In his first few years in Italy, he won a succession of victories at the Battle of the Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, inflicting heavy losses on the Romans. Hannibal was distinguished for his ability to determine both his and his opponent’s respective strengths and weaknesses, and to plan battles accordingly. His well-planned strategies allowed him to conquer and ally with several Italian cities that were previously allied to Rome. Hannibal occupied most of southern Italy for 15 years.

The currently untitled film will be directed by Washington’s regular collaborator Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer films) and written by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo). In a first-look deal with Netflix, Washington and Fuqua will also produce, as part of Fuqua’s production company, Hill District Media.

No release date is on the horizon yet, but Hannibal will be marching onto Netflix in the near future.

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Source: Netflix