Ken Sibanda's Hannibal the Great to star Gary Anthony Sturgis

Gary Anthony Sturgis is set to play the lead in director Ken Sibanda's film on the life of African general Hannibal Barca, entitled Hannibal the Great. The film entitled “Hannibal the Great,” is based on a script written by Ken Sibanda. In 2014 a graphic novel with artwork from the movie’s development was published by Proteus Books in 2014 entitled, “Hannibal the Great: Hannibal Born."

The film comes in light of the criticism on diversity and the slated 2018 release of the comic book hero, "Black Panther."

Mr. Sturgis was last seen in Greg Carter’s BET release of LUCKY GIRL and Chris Stokes feature, WILL TO LOVE on TV ONE. Gary Anthony Sturgis also wrote and directed the feature film currently titled 2016 which he co-created with producer Rick Jenkins for Lionsgate Films, to be released later this year. Gary is most famous for playing the villain in Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls and Diary of a Mad Black Woman, as well as opposite Terrence Howard and the late Bernie Mac in Pride.

“I have dreamed of playing this role my entire career”, said Sturgis.

The movie set in Africa, Rome, and Spain tells the story of Hannibal Barca. Its longline is — Before there was war there was Hannibal. Of equal importance is the video game to be released by Protege, a division of Proteus Films later this year entitled - Thunderbolt Hannibal.