Diesel's Hannibal

Follow @empiremagazine

Forum Home

Register for Free!

Log In

Moderator Tickets

FAQ

Users Online

Diesel's Hannibal

Logged in as: Guest

Printable Version

All Forums >> [Film Forums] >> Future Films >> Diesel's Hannibal

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Diesel's Hannibal - 17/7/2007 9:39:23 PM

Sway

Posts: 8910
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Albuquerque

I'm probably completely behind times with this, but it suddenly popped into my head tonight when James May mentioned Hannibal and his elephants on his programme, that there was meant to be a film with Vin Diesel playing Hannibal being produced.

However the last I heard about it was years ago, I recall sitting in my classics class in 1st year at uni (4 years ago now), telling my friend we had Alexander, Troy and Hannibal all to look forward to.

Although much skepticism was voiced on my part about the fact Vin Diesel was supposedly playing him.

Anyway, simple curiosity really, have I missed the boat? Has it been scrapped and I'm completely unawares?

If this has already been discussed elsewhere, oopsies, I apologise!

_____________________________

"I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger! A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks!"

Post #: 1

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 18/7/2007 11:35:55 AM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

This is all I could find. (Twas in my HISTORICAL EPIC THREAD).

One upcoming film i've forgotten about is Vin Diesel's Hannibal The Conqueror!

The Diesel will be starring and directing himself in the legendary tale of the Carthaginian general who led an elephant-riding battalion across the Alps to attack Rome in the 3rd Century B.C.

Shooting has yet to start and studios have refused to fund his passion project, but there's a website

http://www.hannibaltheconqueror.net/

Hopefully, it'll be as good as the BBC's docudrama from last year with Alexander Siddig

Might be more info here - http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=519945&mpage=4&key=epic

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to Sway)

Post #: 2

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 18/7/2007 11:46:20 AM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382731/board

As you'd expect, they're kicking up a HUGE fuss on IMDB over whether Hannibal was white or black. Not that it REALLY matters as he descended from the Phoenicians who looked sort of Middle Eastern.

Either way, I reckon Diesel would be great in the role. It'll give him a chance to flex his acting muscles.

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 3

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 18/7/2007 12:13:04 PM

Sway

Posts: 8910
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Albuquerque

Cheers Timon.

Really, I should have just gone straight to you in the first place, you're clearly the man in the know around here.

I was rather intrigued to see which way this would go, whether it would be an all out action movie ala 300 style (all brawn, little brains) or if they'd take a middle ground focusing on some of the politics (ala Alexander), or perhaps even inject a touch of heart and sentiment into it (ala Gladiator)....

However I still have to confess I'm truly sceptic about Diesel pulling it off. In my younger, more naive days when I actually fancied the pants off him I would have defended him to the hilt, but with hindsight and having seen a couple of his movies since I often cringe. I'm not going to write him off altogether though, if they don't just go down the route of and out and out action epic and reign it in a little bit and he pulls it off well, then kudos to him. Perhaps it could be a big break for him.

Thanks for the links, I'm going to have a wee nosey around now.

_____________________________

"I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger! A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks!"

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 4

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 18/7/2007 12:52:17 PM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

From Wikipedia, so take certain 'facts' with a pinch of salt.

Hannibal the Conqueror is a 2008 film directed by and starring Vin Diesel. The film, based on the novel by Ross Leckie, centers on the Carthaginian commander Hannibal who led an army across the Alps and wreaked havoc on the Romans during the Second Punic War from 218 BC until his defeat in 202 BC.

Diesel, who has wanted to produce a movie about Hannibal for many years, stated in March of 2005 that the film's budget was still in question. Diesel said that he was in "soft pre-production" at that time, attempting to reduce the film's proposed budget - which an unnamed studio had quoted at a titanic 217 million dollars - down to a more manageable 50 million dollars. Diesel has admitted seeking advice with director Mel Gibson on making a movie with an ancient language as well as getting financiers, stating: "Passion of the Christ helps the cause because it says you can do a foreign film and it will do business".

So far, from the cast that has been announced, Vin Diesel will play the leading role as Hannibal Barca. Valentino Morales, Vin's inseparable friend, will play the brother of Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal. Other cast members that have been announced, Yorick Van Wageningen and Ana Vega, have no specific role as of yet.

Diesel has apparently scouted locations and has worked out a script in Phoenician and Latin, he is also currently in negotiations and pre-production. While doubts had lingered over the movie's production for several years, Vin Diesel fansite VinXperience had reported that the filming for Hannibal would begin in November 2006. Diesel will apparently shoot the final scripted scenes for Hannibal in the Dominican Republic before going to Spain and California early next year to shoot the rest of the movie while the release date is still either 2007/08.

According to the Internet Movie Database, as of late 2006, the title of the movie has been selected as "Hannibal the Conqueror"

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to Sway)

Post #: 5

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 18/7/2007 12:56:06 PM

JagLover

Posts: 447
Joined: 11/5/2007

I don't really picture one of the greatest military leaders of all time as Vin Diesel

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 6

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 19/7/2007 12:52:14 PM

GandalfTheGrey

Posts: 18
Joined: 1/5/2006

Wasn't there two movies in development based on the life of Hannibal?

I seem to remember there was another being developed at the same time set to star Denzel Washington as Hannibal.

Any news on that project?

< Message edited by GandalfTheGrey -- 19/7/2007 12:53:07 PM >

(in reply to JagLover)

Post #: 7

RE: Diesel's Hannibal - 19/7/2007 12:57:44 PM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

Oh yeah, it was straight after Gladiator's success that that project was discussed.

David Klass wrote the script and Gladiator's producer Douglas Wick was trying to get it off the ground. It was going to be much more 'avenging his dead father' than a biopic.

When his father is killed by the Romans during the Punic Wars, Hannibal (Washington), a young man from the ruling clans of the city of Carthage on the Mediterranean shore of North Africa, makes an oath of vengeance against Rome. Dedicating his life to fulfilling that challenge, Hannibal becomes a general by the time he's in his mid-20s, and with an army of 100,000 committed to his goal, he sets out to bring Rome down, first by conquering Spain, and then by setting loose a surprise (and famous) attack on Italy by way of the Alps, with an array of forces that included war-trained elephants. This movie shows how far a son can be willing to go to avenge the death of his father.

There was a HUGE kick up about the whole physical depiction of Hannibal in terms of race - To sum it up, one side sees Hannibal as an African hero, who should be played by an African-American with dark skin. On the other side are those who argue that the ruling class of Carthage were Semitic people who originated from Phoenicia, who might have looked more like Vin Diesel than Denzel Washington.

< Message edited by Timon -- 19/7/2007 2:21:10 PM >

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to GandalfTheGrey)

Post #: 8

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 14/4/2009 2:55:21 PM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

With Fast and Furious making huge money and Diesel and Walker apparantly signed to do a FIFTH film, surely this is now the time for Vin to pull a Universal studio head aside and ask for a little time and money to do his passion project before he committs to F&F5.

I know which one I'd rather see.

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 9

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 14/4/2009 3:18:38 PM

Deviation

Posts: 26923
Joined: 2/6/2006
From: Enemies of Film HQ

Vin Diesel as Hannibal?
[image]http://www.usask.ca/antiquities/Collection/Hannibal1_1.JPG[/image][image]http://images.inmagine.com/img/pixtal/pt087/CD087090.jpg[/image][image]http://cabrera51.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/hannibalthecarthaginian.jpg[/image]

This is Hannibal the Carthaginian general. This is Vin Diesel.

[image]http://images.askmen.com/galleries/men/vin-diesel/pictures/vin-diesel-picture-1.jpg[/image]

I struggle to see the similarity for some reason, and let alone this could be the worst casting since Seagal in the previous project and Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven.

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dpp1978
There are certainly times where calling a person a cunt is not only reasonable, it is a gross understatement.

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49
I really wish I could go down to see Privates

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 10

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 14/4/2009 3:21:52 PM

Riddick_J

Posts: 156
Joined: 21/3/2009

i thought bloom was good in KOH

_____________________________

I'm not saying i don't trust you and I'm not saying i do, but i don't.

(in reply to Deviation)

Post #: 11

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 14/4/2009 3:28:27 PM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

quote:

ORIGINAL: Deviation

Vin Diesel as Hannibal?
[image]http://www.usask.ca/antiquities/Collection/Hannibal1_1.JPG[/image][image]http://images.inmagine.com/img/pixtal/pt087/CD087090.jpg[/image][image]http://cabrera51.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/hannibalthecarthaginian.jpg[/image]

This is Hannibal the Carthaginian general. This is Vin Diesel.

[image]http://images.askmen.com/galleries/men/vin-diesel/pictures/vin-diesel-picture-1.jpg[/image]

I struggle to see the similarity for some reason, and let alone this could be the worst casting since Seagal in the previous project and Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven.

Let Vin grow a beard and I don't see a problem. It's not like those sculptures were done at the time and are an accurate impression of what Barca looked like.

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to Deviation)

Post #: 12

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 16/4/2009 3:46:03 AM

JoeyPottr

Posts: 2066
Joined: 10/2/2009

Vin Diesel can act when he wants to and he's got good material, watch Find Me Guilty, he's great in that. I think he'll do fine with this one, he's certainly got the physique for it.

_____________________________

wandering through the tall grass of life

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 13

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 16/4/2009 11:55:53 AM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

In 2006, some site reported that Vin might try to get it done in a mini series format:

Carthaginian history buff/marble-mouthed action star Vin Diesel, once briefly discouraged by a studio executive's refusal to commit the eleventy billion dollars necessary to realize his epic passion project based on the life of legendary mountain-crossing, Italian-besieging general Hannibal, refuses to abandon his crazy, elephant-chasing dreams. While a Hannibal feature film is still in development (primarily in the form of a stunningly detailed shoebox diorama in the obsessed actor's garage), today's THR reports that Diesel will bring a scaled-down realization of his vision to BET in a "groundbreaking" animated series. Hopefully, the TV project will ultimately satisfy Diesel's need to tell this story, saving him from yet another round of frustrating pitches in which shortsighted suits dismiss his plan to march two hundred animatronic elephants across the Alps in a sneak-attack against a real Italian village.

Here's a pic from ages of him and a mate trying on armour and such - http://www.vindiesel.hu/images/clavedigitialVD-VM.jpg

In an interview with Moviehole last week though, Vin said this about his long gestating passion project:

Diesel still wants to do it - the studio's not so keen. ''This is really candid, I think the studio might be a little bit, as I can understand, apprehensive about giving me a budget that big to direct. So the question has been and probably what's held back the film from being realized, do I have to direct it? And then my question, that's the age old question.'' ''Do I have to direct it or do I produce it, get my voice on it, put my mojo on it and let someone else direct it that a studio would feel comfortable with that size budget? Understandably. I haven't ever done something that big. I've done, I've directed independent film.''

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to JoeyPottr)

Post #: 14

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 6/8/2010 9:05:09 AM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

Is Diesel meeting with Tony Scott?

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/46037

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 15

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 6/8/2010 9:50:44 AM

lukeyboy

Posts: 1638
Joined: 11/10/2005
From: Saaaaf Laaandaan you slaaag!

I'd love to see this film or films happen. The story of Hannibal is crying out for some big-screen tratment and it sounds like Diesel has a really good vision for it. Add to that Tony Scott directing with Denzel as Hamiclar in the first part and you've no doubt got a sure-fire recipie for success!

I forsee Oscars for it......(if it gets made)

_____________________________

I feel like i'm Han Solo, your Chewie and she's Ben Kenobi - and we're in that FUCKED UP bar!!

(in reply to Timon)

Post #: 16

RE: Vin Diesel's Hannibal - 22/2/2013 1:14:41 PM

Timon

Posts: 14548
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Bristol

"When a dream is born in your childhood. When you spend a decade daring to pursue it... The day, a head of a studio says... 'I want to make all three films of your Hannibal trilogy!' Haha... It takes a minute to sink in... Shhhhh... it's still sinking in." - VIN DIESEL

http://geektyrant.com/news/2012/12/21/vin-diesels-hannibal-the-conqueror-moving-forward.html

_____________________________

"I put no stock in religion. By the word 'religion', I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called 'The Will of God'. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves."

Twitter: @timonsingh

(in reply to lukeyboy)

Post #: 17