Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington‘s sixth collaboration with director Antoine Fuqua was set to be a vaulting historical biopic centered around Hannibal Barca, the legendary Carthaginian general. On paper, at least, it looked like a match made in movie heaven, particularly in the wake of Washington’s scenery-chewing turn in Gladiator II, which, if nothing else, demonstrated how comfortably his performance style fits in a historical environment.
The film, which was first announced in 2023, was slated to begin production this summer and had been quietly gathering momentum, with production already scouting for locations in Italy. However, pre-production was put on pause in June while producers and Netflix attempted to come to an agreement on the budget. Last month, Deadline reported that the filmmakers and the streamer were still “working to get the movie back on track,” raising hopes that a compromise could be reached. Unfortunately, it appears that the estimated production cost – reportedly in excess of $200 million – has ultimately proven too expensive, with Netflix deciding to shelve the project altogether.
In a conversation with The Playlist, Richardson described the project as “effectively dead,” later confirming with Deadline that the project fell through “just weeks ago” bringing an abrupt end to what could have been one of Netflix’s most exciting and prestigious upcoming releases. While it’s possible that another studio could step in, the scale and cost of the project means that this story at least, seems to be on indefinite hold. This may be good news for Vin Diesel though, who may finally be able to realize his own 24-year dream of playing the general himself.
With Washington in the lead role, Fuqua at the helm, renowned cinematographer Robert Richardson (Platoon, Casino, Kill Bill) behind the camera, and Oscar-winning screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, Skyfall) on script duties, you might think Netflix would have given a bit more leeway given the caliber of talent involved. Together, Washington and Fuqua have built one of Hollywood’s more successful actor/director partnerships of the past two decades, with Fuqua directing Washington to his second Academy Award for Training Day.
Apart, they have enjoyed plenty of success too, with Fuqua delivering the second-biggest box office hit of the year in Michael, and Washington’s status as one of the most revered actors of his generation speaks for itself. You could be forgiven for thinking that the pair’s proven track record would receive a little more patience from the streamer. Although, if this year has taught us anything about Netflix, it’s that past success is no guarantee of future backing, especially when the budget balloons to this extent.
Perhaps the cancellation shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise; historical epics are infamously one of the most expensive genres to produce. Fuqua’s ambitious plan to recreate all of Hannibal’s major battles over the course of the Second Punic War would have included his legendary crossing of the Alps while riding war elephants, which would almost certainly have resulted in a spectacle to rival the shark-infested Colosseum from Gladiator II. Impressive for sure, but undoubtedly very expensive.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
