Terrence Howard has been tapped to play South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, in 'Winnie.' He will star opposite Jennifer Hudson, who will play the lead role of Winnie Mandela.

The film will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, from a script based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography 'Winnie Mandela:A Life,' Variety reported.

Howard is the latest actor to play the South African leader. Morgan Freeman received an Oscar nomination earlier this year for playing Mandela in Clint Eastwood's 2009 rugby film 'Invictus.' And Danny Glover played the politician in the 1987 TV movie 'Mandela.'

The 'Hustle & Flow' actor was last seen in the action film, 'Fighting' and played the role of Jim Rhodes/ War Machine in 'Iron Man' before being replaced by Don Cheadle. His next big role is in the Tuskegee Airmen film 'Red Tails,' which is being produced by George Lucas.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is still a popular figure in South African politics despite a 1991 conviction for her involvement in the kidnapping, assault and death of a 14-year-old alleged informer. She and Nelson Mandela had been married for only a year before he was forced into hiding and then imprisoned in 1962. She was deputy minister of arts, culture, science and technology in the first post-apartheid government for 11 months, until allegations of corruption led to her dismissal.

A few months ago, there was some backlash over the casting of Hudson in the role of Winnie.

According to media reports, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa said using foreign actors to tell the country's stories undermined efforts to develop the national film industry.

"This decision must be reversed, it must be stopped now," union Secretary General Oupa Lebogo said in The Times. "If the matter doesn't come up for discussion, we will push for a moratorium to be placed on the film."

"It can't happen that we want to develop our own Hollywood and yet bring in imports," the union's leader, Mabutho Sithole, told The Citizen newspaper.

Principal photography for 'Winnie' begins May 31 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Transkei and Robben Island.