NEW YORK (Variety) - Sony-based Revolution Studios has set Vin Diesel to star as Hannibal, the third century B.C. Carthaginian general who rode an elephant across the Alps to attack Rome.
Revolution has acquired screen rights to the Ross Leckie novel "Hannibal" for a film that Diesel and his One Race Prods. partner George Zakk will produce.
While mounting an elephant seems easy in comparison to an ambitious period picture -- Fox has a good head start on a David Klass-penned Hannibal project that has caught the eye of Denzel Washington -- Revolution execs vow to hire an A-list scribe quickly and be in production by next year. They expect Diesel to make the film before its "XXX" sequel.
In taking on Hannibal, Diesel joins the growing ranks of stars hoping history can do for them what it did for Mel Gibson with "Braveheart" and Russell Crowe with "Gladiator." Thesps going the historical route range from Tom Cruise (the Ed Zwick-directed "The Last Samurai") to the Rock (the Greg Poirier-scripted biopic of Hawaiian warrior King Kamehameha). And after Heath Ledger stepped aside, a swarm of young thesps including "Minority Report" co-star Colin Farrell are circling Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great epic.
In Hannibal, Revolution and Diesel have seized upon a noteworthy historical figure who was as crafty a battlefield tactician as "Braveheart" protagonist William Wallace. After swearing to his warrior father an oath of hatred for the Romans, Hannibal became by his mid-20s a Carthage general commanding an army 100,000 strong. He unleashed those forces on Rome and its allies, conquering such venues as Spain before engineering a surprise attack against Rome by trekking his armies over the Alps.
Re: Diesel fuels "Hannibal" biopic
Agreed. I'm a bit worried because Hannibal is one of my favorite historical figures, and I worry about Diesel in "real" acting talent... I like him, but he's such a "action" type, can he do the drama?
Re: Diesel fuels "Hannibal" biopic
yeah, i don't think so. I remember when he was supposedly attached to the Hellboy flick for the title role... really irked me.
I don't see him much good for action either. Mebbe i'm a snob... hell, i'm sure i am at times, but his roles... well i guess you take what you can get, right? because if i had options, i would'nt be picking most of his movies.
boiler room i enjoyed, but it had nothing to do with him. it had everything to do with giovanni ribisi. i guess vin just doesn't do anything for me period.
He's smooth, elegant, and sometimes an acquired taste. If nothing else... he's got style.
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