Netflix Just Hit Pause on Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua’s Hannibal Epic

Well, that was quick. Antoine Fuqua's long-simmering epic about Hannibal – yes, the Carthaginian general, not the one who likes fava beans – has hit a major snag before filming even started. Netflix has apparently pressed pause on pre-production, all because the budget numbers got a bit out of hand. If you know anything about historical war epics, you’ll know this sort of thing is almost inevitable, but still, not the announcement anyone was hoping for.

For those needing a refresher: Hannibal, in this case, isn’t a reboot of a cannibal thriller. We’re talking about the actual military genius who once dragged elephants over the Alps and terrified Roman senators in their togas. Fuqua's been attached to this one for a while now, and he's roped in Denzel Washington for the title role. So, pedigree? Definitely.

The Project So Far

The script for the Hannibal film comes courtesy of John Logan – that'd be the same bloke behind Gladiator and The Aviator, plus he wrote Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic, if you're keeping score. There’s clearly confidence in the writing, and it seemed things were properly motoring along: Netflix had already started meeting actors to join the cast alongside Denzel, with Fuqua and crew even off scouting locations in Italy. You don’t start measuring up amphitheatres and Roman ruins unless you’re getting serious.

But – and there’s always a but – the usual culprit reared its head: money. Deadline reckons studio execs and producers are still huddling to try and rescue the project, but this sort of sweeping historical story never comes cheap, and it sounds like both sides decided a “let’s just slow everything down” approach was the healthiest way forward. Basically, they're hoping to get their budget ducks in a row before a single helmet’s been shined.

Fuqua, Denzel, and Elephants on Ice

• Director: Antoine Fuqua
• Hannibal Himself: Denzel Washington
• Script: John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator)
• Status: Pre-production paused, budget issues under review
• Location Scouting: Ongoing in Italy – but currently on hold

Meanwhile – 'Michael' Stacks Up

While the fate of Hannibal hangs in the balance, Fuqua is hardly sitting around twiddling his thumbs. His Michael Jackson biopic, simply called Michael, has already raked in over $858 million worldwide. But here’s the twist: that film only goes up to 1988, ending with the Bad World Tour. Which means there’s absolutely loads still left to cover (yes, seriously) – and a sequel is apparently already cooking.

Adam Fogelson, the big cheese at Lionsgate Studios Motion Picture, says they’re 'really excited about the progress' on Michael Part Two. In a rather corporate bit of understatement, he added:

'All the conversations that we’ve been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well, and I would say that there is a ton of incredibly entertaining Michael Jackson story, and much of the biggest and most popular parts of his music catalog that were not touched upon in the first film.'

If you want a fan’s eye perspective, Chris Bumbray from our team came away a bit conflicted about Michael. He said, 'While I’m probably making Michael sound pretty bad, here’s the thing: I actually enjoyed it. About fifty percent of the movie is dedicated to recreating the process of making and performing the music, and when they stick to that, Michael is a blast. In terms of a body of work, no matter what you think of the King of Pop, no one really touches him, so it’s a thrill to watch him put together Off the Wall or shoot Thriller.'