Streaming platform Netflix has halted pre-production on its untitled epic drama about the ancient Carthaginian general Hannibal over budget concerns, entertainment news website Deadline reported.
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Logan, was slated to begin shooting in Italy this summer, according to media reports.
The project was set to star Denzel Washington in the lead role but now faces an uncertain future.
According to Deadline, executives involved with the film are working to get production back on track and remain hopeful that the project will move forward at Netflix.
Washington was set to portray Hannibal, widely regarded as one of history's greatest military commanders.
The film will chronicle Hannibal's military campaigns against Rome during the Second Punic War.
The Hannibal project would mark the sixth collaboration between Washington and Fuqua. The duo previously worked together on Training Day, The Magnificent Seven and the three Equalizer films.
Washington, 71, has received 10 Oscar nominations and won two Academy Awards during his nearly five-decade career.
Fuqua's most recent directorial venture, the Michael Jackson biopic, has grossed more than USD 850 million at the global box office.