Denzel Washington’s Epic Netflix Movie With Michael Director Gets Terrible Update

Development on an upcoming Netflix movie from Denzel Washington and the director of Michael, Antoine Fuqua, has received a significant update. The planned epic, which would be the sixth collaboration between the director and star, was slated to begin production in June 2026.

What is the latest Hannibal update for the Denzel Washington Netflix movie?

Earlier this year, it was announced that Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming movie Hannibal was in production at Netflix. Washington was cast in the lead role of Hannibal, the famous Carthaginian general.

However, Robert Richardson recently gave an update on the epic biopic in an interview with Deadline. Richardson was the film’s cinematographer, and upon being asked about his current projects, he stated, “I was going to make Hannibal with Antoine and Denzel Washington for Netflix — Hannibal Barca being the general in Carthage — but it fell through just two weeks ago. I was on it for 10 or 12 weeks.”

Previously, the streamer had reportedly paused the project over budget concerns. However, as per Richardson’s update, production has now fallen through entirely. The acclaimed cinematographer’s credits include movies like Kill Bill, The Aviator, Inglorious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood. He recently worked on Madden, a biopic on the American football coach and commentator, John Madden, alongside David O. Russell.

Fuqua, who achieved massive success at the global box office earlier this year with his Michael Jackson biopic, is also known for The Equalizer, Emancipation, Training Day, and Troublemaker: The Story Behind the Mandela Tapes. He previously directed Washington in the Oscar-winning police thriller Training Day, The Equalizer trilogy, and a remake of The Magnificent Seven.

Both were producers of Netflix’s canceled project alongside Erik Olsen and Adam Goldworm. The movie was written by John Logan, known for co-writing Gladiator, The Last Samurai, and Skyfall.