Upcoming "ancient world" movies

[Bloid]

- HANNIBAL THE CONQUEROR (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382731/)

Starring... Vin Diesel as Hannibal! Then again, if you rearrange the letters in his name you can spell "I end lives". Also, Vin Diesel himself is directing and the guy who wrote Gladiator and King Arthur is writing.

- CENTURION (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020558/)

From IMDb: "Britain, A.D. 117. Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon."

- THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034389/)

From IMDb: "In Roman-ruled Britain, a young Roman soldier endeavors to honor his father's memory by finding his lost legion's golden emblem."

Another film about the Ninth Legion... Now this one is based on a novel which is chronologically first in a storyline that goes from the Roman occupation of Britain to the Saxon period. King Arthur himself is a major character in two other related books. The author, Rosemary Sutcliff, was one of the first to write about the Arthurian legends through historical fiction - a precursor to stuff like Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, one could say.

I predict Centurion will be a "historical fantasy" popcorn flick in the vein of Pathfinder. Hopefully this film won't - more of a Master and Commander? It's based on a book after all. About Hannibal, I have no idea.

 

[Merlkir]

Centurion sounds interesting, at least from some posts I've read on RomanArmyTalk..

 

[Pavlov]

Centurion sounds interesting, at least from some posts I've read on RomanArmyTalk..

*grabs Merl by the ear*

Back to painting with you!

 

[Archonsod]

I predict Centurion will be a "historical fantasy" popcorn flick in the vein of Pathfinder. Hopefully this film won't - more of a Master and Commander? It's based on a book after all. About Hannibal, I have no idea.

What, so it'll miscast the entire movie, **** up half of the stuff in the source and present key moments from the novel selected seemingly at random and in a way that fails to make sense?

 

[Sir Lulzalot]

Considering its Vin Diesel I wouldn't expect much from Hannibal.  Centurion sounds interesting however, sounds like something that should be directed by Zack Snyder.  Course then you would have to deal with 300-esque internet stupidity and 5 trillion pictures saying something like "This are ROMANS! LOLZ!!11".  Looks promising though.

 

[Pavlov]

Considering its Vin Diesel I wouldn't expect much from Hannibal.  Centurion sounds interesting however, sounds like something that should be directed by Zack Snyder.  Course then you would have to deal with 300-esque internet stupidity and 5 trillion pictures saying something like "This are ROMANS! LOLZ!!11".  Looks promising though.

I dunno, in "Find me guilty" he proved he could act a lot better then most expected him to. Plus he's going to be in his natural element in this movie, which is probably shirtless and stomping ass.

 

[Cyborg Eastern European]

I'll ignore most of the thread for a second.

- HANNIBAL THE CONQUEROR (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382731/)

Starring... Vin Diesel as Hannibal! Then again, if you rearrange the letters in his name you can spell "I end lives". Also, Vin Diesel himself is directing and the guy who wrote Gladiator and King Arthur is writing.

From my point of viev... I think this' gonna end up like the red bit or 300. I hope I'll be proven wrong

- CENTURION (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020558/)

From IMDb: "Britain, A.D. 117. Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon."

This sounds better...Propably going to be some "improvements" on the story.

- THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034389/)

From IMDb: "In Roman-ruled Britain, a young Roman soldier endeavors to honor his father's memory by finding his lost legion's golden emblem."

Another film about the Ninth Legion... Now this one is based on a novel which is chronologically first in a storyline that goes from the Roman occupation of Britain to the Saxon period. King Arthur himself is a major character in two other related books. The author, Rosemary Sutcliff, was one of the first to write about the Arthurian legends through historical fiction - a precursor to stuff like Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, one could say.

Okay... Book based... should be at least decent...

 

[ealabor]

lmao..

My image of Vin in a Hannibal movie is one of him in a street race through Carthage,  against Scipio on elephants.

 

[Pavlov]

lmao..

My image of Vin in a Hannibal movie is one of him in a street race through Carthage,  against Scipio on elephants.

I would go see that.

 

[Almalexia]

lmao..

My image of Vin in a Hannibal movie is one of him in a street race through Carthage,  against Scipio on elephants.

I would go see that.

Heck yeah.

 

[Barry_bon_Loyale]

- HANNIBAL THE CONQUEROR (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382731/)

Starring... Vin Diesel as Hannibal! Then again, if you rearrange the letters in his name you can spell "I end lives". Also, Vin Diesel himself is directing and the guy who wrote Gladiator and King Arthur is writing.

I hear a good deal of what people think of Vin Diesel, and I think it boils down to the fact people like a tough guy even though I can't see much actual talent.  Truth is, Vin is always Vin, always will be - cannot do anything besides playing the tight-lipped, grumbling tough guy (which he fails at if you ask me).

He is an embarrassment of an actor and I find it funny that people call him an actor - because he's not.  He is a movie star - big difference.  He can't really act, but he gets paid to be himself on screen.  The idea that he could get cast in this role is just laughable to me. 

Now what's funny is that I heard of this film years ago.  A long time ago, there were two Hannibal movies slated for pre-production, one with Vin Diesel and one with Denzel Washington.  This sparked a massive debate as to Hannibal's race, where I don't either side was really right. 

After a while, the Washington one never took off and after spending a good time in limbo, Vin Diesel was told that his film would not be made, so he gave up on it.  For a while I could rest easy that his pathetic joke fell on its face.  Now that the release year has changed it seems its back in production, maybe? 

What bugs me is that this caveman, American, movie star could ever be considered for directing or starring in a film about Hannibal.  That's like casting Chris Elliot as Julius Caesar. 

Alexander Siddig played the film is a docu-drama and was brilliantly cast.  There's a man who did Hannibal justice, not Vin Diesel.   

 

[Almalexia]

Well... I like Vin Diesel...
*grumbles*

 

[Archonsod]

Sword and sandal crap bores me, and I doubt the few million 'action' scenes likely to be in it will change that.

 

[Barry_bon_Loyale]

Well... I like Vin Diesel...
*grumbles*

Well, there's nothing wrong with that.  I can't (or shouldn't) fault people for who they like.  There are plenty of people I know who like him and I understand why some people like him.  All I'm saying is that it's not going to work out for either Vin or Hannibal if he directs or stars in the movie. 

It just irritates me that he is being pushed far beyond his capacity.  There are brilliant actors who could at least do justice to the acting portion; but these actors have the humility and decency to admit they are not right for the role.  Diesel just doesn't seem to want to admit he's not Hannibal material. 

 

[Vulkan]

I don't make a habit of judging movies before they're released... or before I've even seen them, for that matter.

 

[ealabor]

Now what's funny is that I heard of this film years ago.  A long time ago, there were two Hannibal movies slated for pre-production, one with Vin Diesel and one with Denzel Washington.  This sparked a massive debate as to Hannibal's race, where I don't either side was really right. 

If that debate concluded with anything other than him being Punic/Phoenician, then it came to a wrong conclusion.

The Barcids, the family from which Hannibal decended, was already well established, and almost certainly to be of Phoenician blood. Phoenicians did breed with Libyans, but this wouldn't have occured with the Barcids. At most it would have been Punic breeding with Liby-Phoenician in the case of the dark Hannibal concept, but due to the class structuring even that would be unlikely.

The Libyans themselves weren't a very dark race. They were dark, but nothing on the order of Ethiopian, as some propagandists would have it.

As it is, Vin is too light for the role, and with the wrong facial features. I know the historicity will be murdered, but I'll probably end up dragging myself to see it just for the eye candy, as with 300, but of course treat it as fiction. Hannibal had an interesting family, and I doubt much of that would see justice.


Also I imagine after it's release, we'll have to deal with a flood of quote-tards as happened with 300.

 

[uncreative]

Now what's funny is that I heard of this film years ago.  A long time ago, there were two Hannibal movies slated for pre-production, one with Vin Diesel and one with Denzel Washington.  This sparked a massive debate as to Hannibal's race, where I don't either side was really right. 

If that debate concluded with anything other than him being Punic/Phoenician, then it came to a wrong conclusion.

The Barcids, the family from which Hannibal decended, was already well established, and almost certainly to be of Phoenician blood. Phoenicians did breed with Libyans, but this wouldn't have occured with the Barcids. At most it would have been Punic breeding with Liby-Phoenician in the case of the dark Hannibal concept, but due to the class structuring even that would be unlikely.

The Libyans themselves weren't a very dark race. They were dark, but nothing on the order of Ethiopian, as some propagandists would have it.

As it is, Vin is too light for the role, and with the wrong facial features. I know the historicity will be murdered, but I'll probably end up dragging myself to see it just for the eye candy, as with 300, but of course treat it as fiction. Hannibal had an interesting family, and I doubt much of that would see justice.


Also I imagine after it's release, we'll have to deal with a flood of quote-tards as happened with 300.

Vin Diesel is darker than most of today's inhabitants of North Africa, Libyans included and especially Egyptians, if I recall correctly Phoenicians were roughly close to Israel and just south of Turkey, so I can't see skin lightness being a problem, unless people were on average darker those days, even nobles of paler skin.

 

[ealabor]

Well I guess it all comes down to which story of ethnic origin you believe in regards to Phoenicians

Theres suggestion of Amorite, Hittite, Akkadian, Sumerian, and even a suggestion from J. Baldwin that they were Cu****e or Hamite.


I guess its within reason to say that they could have been of Vin's complextion, and if you are extreme enough to believe J.Baldwin, then Denzel complexity. Thats a hard act to sell though on account of there being no geneological residue of them in the area.

Granted we have to throw everything out in regards to geneoligy if trying to use todays standards, on account of colonization by greeks, then crusaders, as well as various other expansionists, but its safe to say dating back in text, there arent any referencings to a people as dark as Hamite, or even Cu****e.

 

[Vulkan]

Keep in mind that Vin could also be given artificial "colour", if needed.

Anyone who has seen Tropic Thunder would know what I mean.

 

[ealabor]

lmao