Denzel Washington Could Make August Wilson's Fences As His Next Directorial Effort

Denzel Washington chooses his directorial projects very carefully. Though he earned quite a bit of critical praise for his 2002 debut Antwone Fisher, it wasn't until five years later that Washington decided to step behind the camera again to make The Great Debaters in 2007. Now six years have gone by without seeing Washington work on a directorial effort, but that streak could be coming to an end soon.

The star, who is up for an Academy Award this year for his performance in Robert Zemeckis' Flight, has revealed to Empire that he now developing his next film to helm and that it will be an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning August Wilson play Fences. Washington has deep ties to the production as he starred in the play when it was revived on Broadway back in 2010 (along with Viola Davis) and took home the Tony for Best Actor In A Play. Said the Oscar winner about the part, "It reawakened me about the work, and my commitment to the work. I said to myself: 'I've got to dig deeper.'" The site doesn't mention if Washington plans to star in the movie as well, but given that he had roles in both Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters one can assume there's a fair chance.

Part of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, a collection of ten plays that the playwright made set in the Pennsylvania city, the story centers on a man named Troy, an ex-con and former baseball player who struggles to provide for his family. James Earl Jones originated the role back in 1988 and also won the top acting prize at the Tonys for his performance.

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