Denzel Washington to Direct 3rd Film

Washington will direct and star in the project, in which he will share scenes with Viola Davis, the actress who also won a Tony in 2010 for the role of Rose Maxson in the same theater work.

“Fences,” the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the story of how a once-promising baseball player winds up working as a garbage collector in Pittsburgh.

Stephen Henderson, Russell Horsnby, Mykelti Williamson, Jovan Adepo and Saniyya Sydney will round out the film’s cast.

“This important and beloved play has been a passion of Denzel’s for many years and it is with great excitement that we embark together to bring his dream project to the big screen,” said Paramount CEO Brad Grey in a statement.

This will be the third film Washington will direct after his debut with “Antwone Fisher” (2002), followed by “The Great Debaters” (2007).

Washington said last year that he was intending to adapt “Fences” for HBO as part of a collection of 10 of Wilson’s works.

Filming will begin in Pittsburgh at the end of April.