Antoine Fuqua to direct feature documentary on Nelson Mandela

Fuqua has teamed up with Mandela’s close friend and former cellmate, Mac Maharaj, who serves as executive producer on the documentary

Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is set to direct a feature documentary on former South African President Nelson Mandela. The project is temporarily titled Troublemaker: The Story Behind the Mandela Tapes, reported entertainment news outlet Variety.

The documentary will feature the newly discovered audio interviews of Mandela — fondly called Madiba — in order to bring an "honest, accurate and definitive depiction" of the late leader, a press release stated. For the project, Fuqua — known for Training Day and The Equalizer films — has teamed up with Mandela's close friend and former cellmate, Mac Maharaj, who serves as executive producer on the documentary.

"It's an honour to bring to the screen the untold story of Mandela, a man I've revered my entire life. I'm incredibly fortunate to be partnered on this project with Mac Maharaj, whose experiences, intelligence and encyclopedic memory of his years alongside Mandela are invaluable," the filmmaker added.

Maharaj, who also served as a minister in Mandela's government, said he is looking forward to seeing Fuqua bring Madiba's story to life. "I have longed to see the story of Nelson Mandela, and his decades-long fight and sacrifice for freedom, equality and justice told in an authentic, complex and revelatory way. It is a story that is more relevant to humanity today, than ever. I am thrilled that a director of Antoine Fuqua's skill, creativity, and integrity has agreed to take on this challenging task," he said.

Fuqua has already started with the production and interviewed a number of individuals who were associated with Mandela.