Hannibal the Conqueror (Release Date 2011)

Synopsis

Hannibal's passage over the Alps is one of the most celebrated achievements of any military force in ancient warfare. Hannibal successfully crossed the Alps, despite numerous obstacles such as harsh climate and terrain, the guerrilla tactics of the native tribes, and the challenge of commanding an army diverse in race and language.

Hannibal's forces moved through the Po Valley and were engaged in a small confrontation at Ticinus. Here, Hannibal forced the Romans, by virtue of his superior cavalry, to evacuate the plain of Lombardy. While the victory was minor, it encouraged the Gauls and Ligurians to join the Carthaginian cause, whose troops bolstered his army back to 40,000 men. Scipio was severely injured and retreated across the river Trebia to camp at Placentia with his army intact.

Hannibal then captured Clastidium, from which he drew large amounts of rations for his men. But this gain was not without its loss, as Sempronius avoided Hannibal's watchfulness, slipped around his flank, and joined his colleague in his camp near the Trebbia River near Placentia. There, in December of the same year, Hannibal had an opportunity to show his superior military skill at Trebia; after wearing down the excellent Roman infantry he cut it to pieces by a surprise attack from an ambush in the flank.

After the Battle of Lake Trasimenus Hannibal had now disposed of the only field force which could check his advance upon Rome, but, realizing that without siege engines he could not hope to take the capital, he preferred to exploit his victory by passing into central and southern Italy and encouraging a general revolt against the sovereign power. After Lake Trasimeno, Hannibal stated, I have not come to fight Italians, but on behalf of the Italians against Rome.

Due to his brilliant tactics, Hannibal, with much inferior numbers, managed to surround and destroy all but a small remainder of a Roman army led by Varro. Depending upon the source, it is estimated that 50,000-70,000 Romans were killed or captured at Cannae. Among the dead were the Roman consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus, as well two consuls for the preceding year, two quaestors, twenty-nine out of the forty-eight military tribunes and an additional eighty senators (at a time when the Roman Senate comprised no more than 300 men, this constituted 25%30% of the governing body). This makes the Battle of Cannae one of the most catastrophic defeats in the history of Ancient Rome, and one of the bloodiest battles in all of human history (in terms of the number of lives lost within a single

Cast


Vin Diesel... Hannibal Barca
F. Valentino Morales... Hasdrubal
Yorick van Wageningen... Gallic
Ana Vega... (rumored)

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

This looks like a great movie,can wait to see it. Vin Diesel Director and Actor.

way to far in the future. But aside from that I think it will suck. I have been waiting for a movie about hannibal for 10 years and this is how they give it to us? PFFFFT LAME! If they were not going to make the movie like 300 then it would probably be good.

We will see how the movie will be.

The date may have been changed but this has widely been known for at least a year. In fact when I first heard about it, the release was to be sometime in 2009.

In the history sub forum there is a list of 'historical' movies and release dates in a thread and this film is mentioned.

I will adopt a wait and see approach but am a bit disappointed at the revised date. 2011? That is a long time from now.

I dunno about Vin Diesel doing it.

This has been pushed back so many times I'm not very optimistic about it ever coming out.

I quite liked that version some years back with the guy from Deep Space Nine playing Hannibal, Alexander Siddiq, he's a damned good actor.

Originally Posted by Eire_Emerald

I dunno about Vin Diesel doing it.

understandable. but from what I've read, apparently Diesal has read up a lot on the Carthaginian conqueror.

Though I still have my reservations.

I give Vin Diesel a chance, if he can pull it of to really produce this thing. For all we know he might be a history buff and deliver a fine movie. At least the constant pushing back of the release date indicates that he tries to make something epic.

Surely I would watch it.

btw. If he stops pumping iron for a while, grows a beard, he could very well look like him. Not that we really know how Hannibal looked, but still I could imagine Vin Diesel looking like Hannibal.

Originally Posted by Thorn777

I give Vin Diesel a chance, if he can pull it of to really produce this thing. For all we know he might be a history buff and deliver a fine movie. At least the constant pushing back of the release date indicates that he tries to make something epic.

Surely I would watch it.

btw. If he stops pumping iron for a while, grows a beard, he could very well look like him. Not that we really know how Hannibal looked, but still I could imagine Vin Diesel looking like Hannibal.

Going by contemporary descriptions, Hannibal probably looked a bit like this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Sorry Thornybabes, I just couldn't resist that.

EEEEEEEK and , You have citizen responsibility and should restrain yourself from such epic-spam.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

ROFL

vin diesel can go either way. the problem is that they keep giving him these cheesy ass "cool guy" lines. ok, we get it.. you're cool.

riddick was fine, babylon AD was ok. his lines in Triple X and Fast and the Furious were ridiculous.

so him as Hannibal can go either way. he's directing it, so at least there isn't anyone there to make him say anything he doesn't want to say or in a manner he doesn't want to say it. does this mean we'll be spared of "i'm a cool guy" Diesel? not necessarily, i'll wait and see.

a particular response i found hilarious in the iMDB forums:

Maybe Brad Pitt I mean Troy was good that guy from The Tudors, My dentist, the guy from ONE ON ONE, Eli Roth, the guy that picks up my trash, The big Black guy from white chicks he is good, carrot top, that guy from powder, Al pacino, The vampire boy from Twilight, That guy that makes the sound effects in Police Academy, Micheal Cera, Jack Black, the dude from Roots, Will Ferrell....
ANYONE

Originally Posted by Snuggans

his lines in Triple X and Fast and the Furious were ridiculous.

Were they ridiculous or were they Riddickulous?

Originally Posted by Last Roman

understandable. but from what I've read, apparently Diesal has read up a lot on the Carthaginian conqueror.

Though I still have my reservations.

Yes so I have heard.

Plus people may underestimate him and quickly feel he is one dimensional typical action man star like van damme. But who knows the guy loves dungeon and dragons and world of warcraft!

Originally Posted by EireEmerald

I dunno about Vin Diesel doing it.

dudes badass

Vin ain't bad in action movies but this is supposed to be a movie about a general... I don't want to see Hannibal charging at Romans.

Eric Bana would have made an excellent Hannibal. But Vin Diesel? WTF?

Originally Posted by Visna

Eric Bana would have made an excellent Hannibal. But Vin Diesel? WTF?

seconded. Bana did a great job in Troy.
Besides, Vin Diesel is a fine actor in action films, but he certainly won't work for the role of Hannibal.

Originally Posted by Visna

Eric Bana would have made an excellent Hannibal. But Vin Diesel? WTF?

I really hate how we think alike, Visna.

Pitch Black was probably the perfect role for Vin Diesel but HANNIBAL??????? That's studio sell out crap, there will probably be some big expensive scenes but to put Vin Diesel in that role is an insult to one of the greatest generals of history.