Rome, Mar. 12 (LaPresse) – After The Equalizer 3, Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington are ready to spend another hot summer in Italy, specifically at the Cinecittà studios. According to Variety, the acclaimed duo will return to Rome to shoot a new Netflix film centered on the Carthaginian general Hannibal, who will be portrayed by the two-time Oscar-winning actor. Written by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Logan, already known for The Aviator and Gladiator, the untitled film is currently in pre-production, and location scouting is underway in Italy, where most of the lavish shooting is expected to take place. The cinematographer is expected to be Robert Richardson, also a three-time Oscar winner for JFK, The Aviator, and Hugo Cabret, as well as a long-time collaborator of Quentin Tarantino and Fuqua himself. The plot has not yet been revealed, but it will revolve around Hannibal, famous for invading Italy riding an elephant. Under his leadership, the Carthaginians won decisive victories against the Romans, allowing Hannibal to occupy much of southern Italy for 15 years. Eventually, Hannibal was defeated by the Romans in the historic Battle of Zama. Washington was recently acclaimed for starring in another film set in ancient Rome, Gladiator 2 by Ridley Scott. The Hannibal film will be the sixth collaboration between the actor and Fuqua, who directed him in Training Day in 2001, earning Washington his second Oscar (his first as a leading actor). In 2023, the two filmed The Equalizer 3 in Italy and at Cinecittà. Before embarking on his new production in Italy, Fuqua is set for another box office challenge: on April 23, the highly anticipated biopic Michael, inspired by the life of Michael Jackson, will be released in Italian cinemas.
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