In 2023, it was announced that director Antoine Fuqua and actor Denzel Washington would be collaborating on a film about Hannibal, the ancient Carthaginian general who fought against Rome in the Second Punic War (roughly 218-201 B.C.). This Hannibal is different from the fictional cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. The historical Hannibal is famous for leading his army—including war elephants—across the Alps to attack the Roman Republic. With Washington starring, the story promises to be visually stunning and compelling.
We haven’t received many updates about the upcoming Hannibal movie, and it doesn’t even have a title yet. However, according to World of Reel, filming for the Netflix movie is scheduled to start this June.
According to World of Reel, Robert Richardson will be the cinematographer for the film. He’s a highly acclaimed veteran, having worked on many Hollywood hits like Platoon, Casino, the Kill Bill films, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Richardson has won three Academy Awards for his cinematography on JFK, The Aviator, and Hugo. The screenplay is by John Logan, known for writing films such as Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo, and Skyfall.
Paramount
Many of the key people involved in this film have collaborated before, which should help the creative process. Director Antoine Fuqua and actor Denzel Washington have a strong working relationship, notably on the Oscar-winning Training Day, as well as The Magnificent Seven (2016) and The Equalizer films. Cinematographer Robert Richardson previously worked with Fuqua on The Equalizer 3 and the 2022 film Emancipation. Screenwriter John Logan is also collaborating with Fuqua again, having penned the script for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, which will be released on April 24th. This existing rapport should allow them to work together seamlessly and deliver a great film.
Denzel Washington has played many different characters throughout his career, even some from ancient history. His experience as the powerful Macrinus in Gladiator II, which takes place around 200 BC, could be valuable for his new role in a Hannibal biopic. Many considered Washington the standout performer in Gladiator II, so audiences are eager to see him lead another grand historical film.
It’s a bit worrying that this film is a Netflix original, as Netflix often skips theatrical releases even for movies that deserve to be seen on the big screen. This one sounds like it could be a truly cinematic experience, so hopefully Netflix will make an exception and give it a proper theatrical run – they’ve been doing that more often lately.
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There’s no release date for Washington’s Hannibal biopic as of yet.
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2026-03-08 20:06