*Netflix’s upcoming “Hannibal” movie with Denzel Washington has sparked controversy in Tunisia over the casting of the ancient Carthaginian general born in 247 BC.
Several politicians in Tunisia, the home country of the historic military warrior, are pushing back on casting a Black actor to portray Hannibal, noting that he was of West Asian Semitic origin, NBC News reports.
“There is a risk of falsifying history: we need to take position on this subject,” Tunisian parliament member Yassine Mami reportedly stated, according to French newspaper Courrier International.
Meanwhile, Tunisian culture minister Hayet Ketat-Guermazi said that Netflix has the “right” to tell whatever story “they want” related to Hannibal.
“It’s fiction. It is their [Netflix‘s] right to do what they want,” she said, according to French newspaper Le Monde, NBC News reports.
“Hannibal is a historical figure and we are all proud that he was Tunisian. But what can we do?” Ketat-Guermazi added.
She hopes a portion of the Antoine Fuqua-directed project is filmed in the country.
“I hope they decide to shoot at least a sequence of the film here and that that this is publicized. We want Tunisia to go back to being a location where foreign films are shot,” Ketat-Guermazi said.
We reported earlier that Fuqua’s upcoming “Hannibal” film is part of his first-look partnership with Netflix. Three-time Academy Award winner John Logan will write the still-untitled film, NBC News reports.
The director inked a deal with the streaming giant in 2021 after the success of the drama “The Guilty,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
“Working with Netflix on The Guilty was such a rewarding experience, both from an artistic and collaborative point of view,” said Fuqua previously in a statement, per Deadline. “I’m beyond excited to continue this relationship and expand our slate of films with a partner that shares our vision at Hill District Media.”
READ MORE: Denzel Washington Reunites with Antoine Fuqua for Netflix’s ‘Hannibal’ Epic
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