Vin Diesel- “He’s a character I’ve always wanted to play, and not unlike how Mel Gibson wanted to play the Wallace character in Braveheart,” Diesel enthusiastically explains. “He redefined war strategies. He was for the 3rd century B.C. -- for that whole era -- he was the classic underdog. He was the only guy who thought of attacking Rome. And he did it in a shrewd way.”
“I can go on for hours talking about how fascinating he is,” adds Diesel about the legendary general who used elephants to cross the Alps in a bid to bring down the Roman Empire.
Originally posted by lau_timmy
Vin Diesel- “He’s a character I’ve always wanted to play, and not unlike how Mel Gibson wanted to play the Wallace character in Braveheart,” Diesel enthusiastically explains. “He redefined war strategies. He was for the 3rd century B.C. -- for that whole era -- he was the classic underdog. He was the only guy who thought of attacking Rome. And he did it in a shrewd way.”“I can go on for hours talking about how fascinating he is,” adds Diesel about the legendary general who used elephants to cross the Alps in a bid to bring down the Roman Empire.
Vin Diesel's got a brain? When did this happen?
If he really has a degree in some intelligent subject (I heard this from my mother) then why doesn't he act like it instead of being paid solely for his muscles moving around hitting people and firing guns.
Yes, that was also what actors like Arnie and Stallone and Van Damme did but they are action icons and Diesel pales in comparison to them.
and naming himself diesel is so damn corny.. he really needs a new nickname, although I did enjoy chronicles of riddick .. that was fun
I just think it would be great if played like the role of a paladin or some really complex character that has an inner turmoil.... the whole swinging guns around and bombs going off is lame IMO
The Battle of Zama would make this movie terrific. Hannibal has about 45,000 total infantry but just 4,000 cavalry. Scipio's infantry numbers are just 35,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. Both armies were drawn up in three lines, with the cavalry forces on the flanks. Scipio had the major advantage here. Hannibal had elephants and a larger army
Originally posted by cal31
Last time I checked Hannibal wasn't black. You say Vin Diesel only plays a tough guy with cheesey lines, yet you probably love Arnold, Stallone, etc. When will this type of ignorance end?
Well check again because he is black. I don't want an inaccurate film because someone cant accept a black war hero if his black let someone black play him if his white let someone white play him. Hollywood shoud stick to facts.
Diesel can't simply carry a movie men! The guy doesn't sound real. He sounds as if he's reading his lines or somethig, maybe that's not too bad for an action movie or a sci fi where he's just plain annoying (*cough* *cough* Riddick...ulous) but a historical movie. This is supposed to be a portrayal of reality with the usual hollywood twist. D. Vin isn't just real enough for me.
(ps: when will hollywood stop casting Americans, nothing personal, in roles of other nationalities.Jungle book, the scorpion king etc. sheesh. Well i guess we can pardon it for the reason of entertainment and making money)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) --- Although nothing is set yet, and although he's cut the budget from $200 million to $50 million, Vin Diesel remains determined to star and direct in an epic about a elephant-riding conqueror of 3 B.C.
" 'Hannibal' is forever haunting me on the horizon, waiting," Diesel tells Zap2it.com about his own personal passion project. 'Hannibal' is at the summit of the Alps right now, calling my name."
The action star has talked for years about doing a biopic about the young general who crossed the Alps on elephants to attack Rome.
Before studios nix the project as another big-budgeted "Alexander" failure, Diesel whittled the budget down and is now trying to get the project started.
Originally posted by sexyking
Well check again because he is black. I don't want an inaccurate film because someone cant accept a black war hero if his black let someone black play him if his white let someone white play him. Hollywood shoud stick to facts.
Agreed, Hollywood should stick facts, and get a white
actor to play him.
Hannibal came from Carthage, in modern-day Tunisia, a city
founded by colonists from Phoenicia, modern-day Lebanon.
Last time I checked, Tunisians and Lebanese (who look
alike anyway) are NOT black! They are olive-skinned
caucasians, similar to Italians and Greeks.
Getting an actor of European descent would be much closer to the
real Hannibal (physically and ethnically) than a black (or even
mulatto) one.
Well, first 'Troy', then 'King Arthur', then 'Alexander' and now 'Hannibal'. Looks like hollywood is looking to revisit every single notable ancient character ever known. Hannibal is an interesting choice seeing as he ultimately does lose. The truth is the Romans defeated the Carthaginians 3 times, the last time actually burning Carthage down when it seemed like they really posed no threat at all to Rome. These wars were referred to as the 'Punic Wars'. The idea behind casting Diesel as Hannibal is prob because they feel they needed someone strong to play the part, after all Hannibal was a barbarian just like Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun. The difference is that Hannibal was also a cunning general and somewhat of a military strategist who had learned from his father's previous mistakes. So he was smarter than the other barbarians. After all, he was the first to introduce tanks into battle. Yes tanks...elephants of course. Btw, didn't we already see the elephant thing in Alexander? Do we really need to see it again?
Anyway, I'm all for movies that depict ancient battle scenes especially when they're done right and especially when they involve the Romans. But that being said, it looks like hollywood is still trying to recapture the magic that it found with movies like "Gladiator' and 'Braveheart' and while these movies did rely on some historical accounts most of it was based on fictional and original storylines with very involved character plots. I'm also wondering if Diesel can pull off a complex character like Hannibal. Judging from what he did with Riddick, I just don't think he can bring the needed humility and human side that a person like Hannibal requires. Diesel seems to only know how to play the badass but nothing else. In comparison when Russel Crow played the role of Maximus, he not only depicted him as a badass but he also made you feel for him as a person. Same thing with Mel Gibson and his portrayal of William Wallace. Diesel is just no where near this level of acting yet but he may surprise me, who knows.
Originally posted by RZA
The idea behind casting Diesel as Hannibal is prob because they feel they needed someone strong to play the part, after all Hannibal was a barbarian just like Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun. The difference is that Hannibal was also a cunning general and somewhat of a military strategist who had learned from his father's previous mistakes. So he was smarter than the other barbarians.
Sorry RZA, but Hannibal WAS NOT a barbarian!!
Hannibal came from the nobility of Carthage, which was a city
older than Rome itself. A city founded by Phoenicians who
come from one of the oldest centers of civilizations (ancient
Canaan).