Since Training Day, Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua have proven to be a winning team. They scored another box office success with the threequel The Equalizer 3. Now the successful duo is gearing up for another movie collaboration. As awesome as the project sounds, it’s a blow to fellow Hollywood A-lister Vin Diesel, who’s been trying to get a project about the same character off the ground for years.
Denzel Washington Is Finally Gearing Up For An Epic Biopic
It was previously announced the two-time Oscar winner landed his next movie role as notable Carthaginian general Hannibal the Conqueror. Washington will executive produce the biopic war epic with Fuqua, who will direct the film for Netflix. The untitled drama will follow the notorious military commander as he battled the Roman Empire during the Second Punic War. Gladiator and Aviator scribe John Logan will pen the script. Telling Hannibal’s story has been a dream project for the Training Day star for 20 years, with the biopic originally being set up at 20th Century Fox. Considering the actors strike has concluded, it is currently unknown when the film will start production or when it will arrive to viewers’ Netflix subscriptions.
While Hannibal has been a dream project for the Hollywood A-lister, Washington has experienced trouble trying to bring his life to the big screen. His take on the commander’s life has always faced poor timing and other obligations as his film slate remained booked and busy. The Equalizer 3 star was also raising his family, so spending a long period away from them was out of the question when they were younger. Of course, now his children are grown with their respective Hollywood careers (I'm looking at you, John David), and Washington has the time to do the long-term epic despite talks of his acting career winding down for more directing and producing.
Vin Diesel Wants To Bring Hannibal To The Big Screen, Too
However, the epic biopic wasn’t just Denzel Washington’s dream project. Vin Diesel has been eyeing Hannibal the Conqueror for the big screen for years. According to a report (via ScreenRant), the Dom Toretto actor wanted to turn the legendary general’s life into a war epic trilogy. Over the years, Diesel has not only been set to star in the biopic, but also direct and produce it. In a strange twist, the Hollywood actor wanted Washington to play the conqueror’s respected leader father, Hamilcar Barca. It seemed Washington might’ve beat the Guardians of the Galaxy star to the point where his project might be done.
Vin Diesel’s Hannibal project has faced similar hurdles to Washington’s version. Timing has not been on his side, as he starred in multiple franchises, like Fast & Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy and Riddick. So steering the former has taken up most of his time. The Fast X star has given hints at his proposed trilogy for a decade, implying the series was still on his mind in 2021. In the meantime, he’s also been growing his family and creating more projects.
At this point, it would be fun to see Denzel Washington and Vin Diesel come together to bring Hannibal the Conqueror’s life to the screen. Maybe they’ll fulfill Diesel’s request to act alongside the two-time Oscar winner. It might be some time before Washington’s biopic hits screens though, as he joined Gladiator 2, which will resume filming at some point. After taking over the 2023 movie schedule with Fast X and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Diesel is gearing up for several projects, including Fast X: Part 2.
