Netflix has halted pre-production on its untitled epic drama about the Carthaginian general Hannibal, pausing a project that had Denzel Washington set to star and Antoine Fuqua attached to direct while the studio and producers work out budget concerns.
The film had been in early pre-production and was planning a shoot in Italy later this year, with studio teams meeting actors to join Washington and Fuqua’s crew scouting locations in the country as preparations ramped up.
John Logan wrote the script for the picture, which is centered on the pivotal battles Hannibal led against the Romans during the Second Punic War, and Washington is also credited as a producer alongside Erik Olsen, Adam Goldworm, Todd Black, Clayton Townsend and Fuqua. A group of executive producers includes Scott Greenberg, Kat Samick, Katia Washington, Frank Moll and Jeremy Lott.
The pause was initiated so producers and the studio could figure out the budget, a sticking point that has put the timing of a summer or later-this-year shoot in doubt. Industry reports first disclosed the production delay, and those involved say the studio and producers are now working to get the movie back on track.
The halt matters because the project was moving from planning toward active production: meetings with prospective cast members had been underway and location scouting had taken Fuqua’s team into Italy. That momentum—the practical work that turns a script into a shoot—has been interrupted while finance and scope are renegotiated.
The Hannibal picture also carries weight for the filmmaker–star partnership. The project would mark Fuqua’s sixth collaboration with Washington; the director and actor most recently worked together on 2023’s The Equalizer 3, and Washington won an Oscar in 2001 for Fuqua’s Training Day. Those shared credits have been part of the film’s commercial and creative draw.
Despite the pause, those involved express hope the movie can still move forward at Netflix if budget issues are resolved. The studio and producers are reportedly exploring adjustments that could preserve the scale of the historical epic while fitting a revised financial plan.
The central unknown is how large the budget gap is and how long it will take to close it; neither the studio nor the producing team has set a public timeline for a restart. Until they reach an agreement, casting discussions and location plans in Italy remain on hold and the production’s schedule is unsettled.
The next step is internal: producers and Netflix will continue negotiating the budget and the scope of the project. If they reach terms, the company’s earlier preparations—actor meetings and scouting—could resume and the film could return to its planned production window later this year. If not, the pause could stretch indefinitely or force a scaled-down approach; that outcome will be dictated by those budget talks.
