Denzel Washington Confirms Sequel To One Of His Most Popular Movies Is Happening
A popular Denzel Washington franchise is getting another installment. That's good news for those who want to see him back for some action
This article is more than 2 years old
The Equalizer 3 is in the works with Denzel Washington in the lead once more. After starring in the original film and its sequel The Equalizer 2, the Hollywood legend revealed that the third installment will be his next project. According to the Training Day star, the script is complete and he’s already started the physical training that’s required for starring in the action-packed movie.
While promoting his latest film, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Denzel Washington told BFTV that he will be reuniting with director Antoine Fuqua for the film, with production to start later this year. The 67-year-old added a few more details while speaking with Collider. “They have written the third Equalizer, so I’m scheduled to do that,” Denzel Washington told the publication. “So I gotta get in shape and start beating people up. The Tragedy of Macbeth and then beating some people up. Can’t get any better, right?”
The Equalizer 3 will be the fifth collaboration between Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua. The pair have previously worked together on Training Day, The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven, and The Equalizer 2. Fuqua expressed his desire to return for a third film not too long after the release of the sequel. At the time, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he would love for the story to take place internationally saying, “In my mind, there’s a European adventure. That’s what I’d like to see.”
Although this Denzel Washington project has been on the cards for a while, Antoine Fuqua has been rather busy. In 2021, he directed Infinite with Mark Wahlberg and The Guilty with Jake Gyllenhaal. He also serves as executive producer of the Fox drama series The Resident and the Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingston. Fuqua is currently working on Emancipation starring Will Smith.
Loosely based on the 1980s television series of the same name, The Equalizer premiered in 2014 to mixed reviews. Critics praised the visual style, direction, acting, soundtrack, and action sequences but maligned its depictions of violence and plot. Nonetheless, the Denzel Washington starrer became a commercial success earning over $192 million at the global box office on a production budget of $55 million.
Written by Richard Wenk, the movie also starred Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo. The story follows Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a former U.S. Marine turned DIA intelligence officer who reluctantly returns to action to protect a teenage prostitute from members of the Russian mafia. A sequel was released in 2018. This time Washington’s character seeks revenge for the murder of a close friend.
While we wait for The Equalizer 3 to get the green light from the studio, Denzel Washington can be seen in The Tragedy of Macbeth. The Shakespeare adaptation is written and directed by Joel Cohen. The story follows a Scottish Lord who becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland. And his ambitious wife supports him in his plan to seize power at all costs.
Starring alongside Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth are Frances McDormand (who serves as producer on the project), Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, and Brendan Gleeson. The movie had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival in September 2021. It had a limited theatrical release on Christmas day and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ from January 14, 2022.
