Shoot of Denzel Washington’s latest project by Netflix put on hold

Hollywood actor Denzel Washington’s new film on Carthaginian general Hannibal, who is widely regarded as one of history’s greatest military commanders, may not happen anytime soon, as the project has been put on hold.
According to international media, streaming service Netflix has paused pre-production on the film as the studio and producers work to resolve budget concerns. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Logan, was slated to shoot in Italy this summer. Executives on both sides are working to get production back on track and hope the project can still move forward at Netflix.

The film will focus on the battles Hannibal, played by Denzel, led against Rome during the Second Punic War. The Hannibal project would mark the sixth collaboration between Washington and Fuqua. They earlier worked together on ‘Training Day’, ‘The Magnificent Seven’ and three ‘Equalizer’ movies.

Washington, 71, has received 10 Oscar nominations and won two Academy Awards in his nearly five-decade career, best supporting actor for ‘Glory’ in 1990 and best actor for ‘Training Day’ in 2002. Fuqua comes to the project after the success of ‘Michael’, the Michael Jackson biopic he directed, which has grossed over 850 million dollars at the global box office.