The History Channel is currently working on a miniseries tentatively titled, “Hannibal,” to be co-produced by A+E Studios and Red Arrow Entertainment. The miniseries will tell the story of the greatest generals in antiquity – Hannibal Barca and his archrival Scipio Africanus – who went head-to-head in the Second Punic War.
Academy Award-winning Actress Halle Berry executive producing and Oscar-nominated writer Jeffrey Caine, known for his work on The Constant Gardener and GoldenEye, are penning the script. “Hannibal” begins in Carthage, 264 BC, at the beginning of his life in North Africa and takes viewers through the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome. In what became legend, Hannibal and his archrival Scipio Africanus take a sacred vow to destroy the other and the nation he served. However, despite their fiercely opposed allegiances, the two are brought together and grow to respect each other as brothers.
Berry commented on the new series,
“Hannibal was not only the greatest African general to ever live, he may have been the greatest general, period. His story is an intricate and captivating ride and I’m thrilled to get this project off the ground with our partners at History.”
“Hannibal” is produced by A+E Studios and Red Arrow Entertainment for HISTORY. Halle Berry, Steven Jensen, Vincent Cirrincione and Jeffrey Caine serve as executive producers. Simon Maxwell serves as executive producer for Red Arrow Entertainment. Dirk Hoogstra, Elaine Frontain Bryant and Julian P. Hobbs serve as executives in charge of production for History.
Should History move forward with “Hannibal” (not to be confused with NBC’s Hannibal, which is based on the character Hannibal Lecter from the Thomas Harris novels), this would mark the cable network’s latest foray into scripted TV, where it has successfully launched the Emmy-winning Hatfields & McCoys miniseries, Vikings and The Bible. History also is developing a Roots remake and has the four-hour Adrien Brody miniseries Houdini on tap, as well as Bonnie & Clyde airing on multiple networks Dec. 8 and 9.
