The Equalizer 3: Which legendary actor did Denzel Washington replace?

What is it about? After leaving his life as a government assassin behind, Robert McCall struggles to come to terms with the demons of his past and finds strange solace in standing up for the downtrodden. While he finds a haven of peace in southern Italy, he discovers that his friends are under the control of the local mafia. When events take a deadly turn, McCall knows what to do: protect his friends by confronting the mob.

Russell Crowe as an Avenger?

In 2010, when the project to adapt The Equalizer series first appeared, New Zealand actor Russell Crowe would play the role of the avenger Robert McCall. The following year, Denzel Washington was finally chosen (fun fact: Crowe and Washington starred in 2007’s American Gangster). In 2013, Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) was considered to be in charge of the film, but abandoned ship. He gives way to Antoine Fuqua.

A fetish actress

Equalizer 3 marks the fifth collaboration between Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua since Training Day (2001), which earned the actor an Oscar for Best Actor for his masterful performance as a corrupt and violent cop, The Equalizer (2014), Les 7 Mercenaries (2016). ) and The Equalizer 2 (2018).

“The Equalizer Fights for Justice”: Denzel Washington is back to fight the Italian mafia!

The original series

The Equalizer 3 is the third installment in the Equalizer action franchise, itself adapted from the television series of the same name, created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. The show, starring US Secret Service agent Edward Woodward, aired on CBS in the US from 1985 and on M6 in 1991. Note that the reboot series, led by Queen Latifah, appeared in 2021.

Box Office France: Is Equalizer 3 Doing Better Than Previous Films?

A profitable franchise

Released in 2014, The Equalizer grossed $193 million worldwide. Its sequel The Equalizer 2 achieved a similar score: $190 million. It’s a good deal when you know that the first opus cost 55 million and the second one cost 62 million. In France, success was more moderate, drawing 1.5 million action fans across the two films.

A sequel to “Man on Fire”?

With Equalizer 3, Denzel Washington finds Dakota Fanning after Man on Fire (2004), remembered for its darkness and violence. In this action thriller from Tony Scott, the charismatic actor plays a former CIA agent who tries to find a little girl (Fanning) who was kidnapped in Mexico. With that meeting in mind, Antoine Fuqua told ComicBook.com:

“We’ve never talked about it, but it’s something I’ve thought about. When Dakota Fanning told me she was interested, I thought: ‘Yes ! It’s a man on fire, but years later.’ But I never told them that because they are focusing on the characters of Equalizer 3 at the time. But when you see them together, it made me smile when I saw them on set.”