Denzel Washington to play Hannibal in biopic by ‘Gladiator’ writer
nme.comGladiator writer.The Oscar-winning actor will play the famed military leader who posed the greatest threat to the Roman Republic.
In 218 BC during The Second Punic War, Hannibal led troops atop elephants over the Alps, attacking Rome from the north.Washington’s casting, first reported in Deadline, is met with news that John Logan, the writer of Ridley Scott’s 2000 epic Gladiator, is writing the script.
Antoine Fuqua, who has worked with Washington on movies including 2001’s Training Day and The Equalizer film franchise, is directing the biopic.Meanwhile, Washington is set to return to production on Scott’s Gladiator 2, which is due to restart production shortly following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA Hollywood strikes.
It’s slated for release in November 2024, Deadline reports.The actor’s role in the film is currently unknown.Gladiator 2 will follow Lucius (Mescal) – the son of Lucilla (Connie Neilson) and Maximus (previously played by Russell Crowe) – and the nephew of Emperor Commodus, who Joaquin Phoenix played in the first film.
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