Antoine Fuqua to develop Caleb Carr’s historical novel The Devil Soldier

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Word has come down the wire via Deadline Hollywood that THE EQUALIZER 2 director Antoine Fuqua has been tapped to develop, produce and possibly direct a feature film adaptation of THE DEVIL SOLIDER, a historical epic based on the novel written by bestselling author Caleb Carr. Producing alongside Fuqua is SOUTH BUREAU HOMICIDE and DOG EAT DOG producer Mark Earl Burman via ADME Studios.

According to the report, THE DEVIL SOLDIER is a historical odyssey which follows the American outlaw-turned-mercenary Frederick Townsend Ward during the Taiping Rebellion, a civil war in China that raged from 1850 to 1864. If Carr's name is screaming inside your head and you can't quite figure out why, it could be because another of his best selling novels, The Alienist, was recently transformed into a mini-series for TNT starring Daniel Bruhl, Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans, among others.

On deck for Fuqua, following his $190 million worldwide success with THE EQUALIZER 2, is a pair of documentary films, including WHAT'S MY NAME: MUHAMMAD ALI and AMERICAN DREAM/AMERICAN KNIGHTMARE. The first is an in-depth look at the boxing legend that floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, Muhammad Ali, while the other is planned as deep dive into the life and storied exploits of Suge Knight, Death Row Records co-founder, as well as the volatile and highly influential era in music that he presided over.

To get yourself a taste of Fuqua's talent, be sure to pick up a copy of THE EQUALIZER 2, which is set for a home release on December 11th.