Tag: Antoine Fuqua

Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua team up for the fifth time in “The Equalizer 3,” which ties Fuqua with the late Tony Scott as Washington’s most frequent director collaborator. 

Washington says there are many reasons why he looks forward to reteaming with Fuqua: “His spiritual maturity, his collaboration, his humility, his eye,” says the actor. “There was never a question about his talent, his experience. We’re brothers – I trust him completely, he trusts me, and I’m excited about our future together. The deeper he goes, the higher he’ll go, and I’m not talking about movies.”

Fuqua returns the compliment: “Denzel constantly surprises me because the environment changes. He’s like an athlete,” says Fuqua of Washington. “If Michael Jordan is playing against the Celtics, it’s one game. If he’s playing against the Lakers, it’s another game. Each situation Denzel is in, he’s so much in the moment of the character, that there’s times I’m discovering constantly, ‘What’s he going to do?’”

Watching Washington be “in the moment” of his character, in Fuqua’s words, is a unique experience. “I’ll go to Denzel to give him a note about something he did, and he’ll literally ask, ‘What did I do? What did I say?’ He’s so in the moment,” shares Fuqua. “So I tell other actors that they have to be in the moment with Denzel. Your instinct has to be heightened and you have to really listen. You can’t come in with preconceived ideas, because that won’t work. It’s just like a dance – Denzel will stick to the intention of the scene, but you must move with him.”

Watch the trailer below:

While waiting for “The Equalizer 3” to open in cinemas on September 13, let’s take a look back at the previous films that the critics-favorite duo have worked on together: 

TRAINING DAY (2001) 

Also stars: Ethan Hawke, Eva Mendes 

Synopsis: Every day a war rages between drug dealers and cops on the streets of America’s inner cities. With every war comes casualties, none greater than 13-year veteran Los Angeles narcotics officer Alonzo Harris (Washington), whose questionable methods blur the line between legal and corrupt. Today Alonzo gets a new partner, idealistic rookie Jake Hoyt (Hawke), and Jake has one day – and one day only – to prove his mettle to his fiercely charismatic superior. Over 24 hours, Jake will be dragged into the ethical mire of Alonzo’s logic as both men risk their careers and their lives to serve conflicting notions of justice.

Fun fact: Washington’s portrayal of Alonzo earned him a Best Actor Oscar. 

THE EQUALIZER (2014)

Also stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman

Synopsis: McCall (Washington) has put his mysterious past behind him and is dedicated to living a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri (Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (2016)

Also stars: Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke

Synopsis: In Director Antoine Fuqua’s modern vision to a classic story, the desperate townspeople of Rose Creek employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns after the town falls under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue. As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

THE EQUALIZER 2 (2018)

Also stars: Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman

Synopsis: Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when it is someone he loves?

And don’t forget:

THE EQUALIZER 3 (September 13, 2023) 

Also stars: Dakota Fanning

Synopsis: Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

The Equalizer 3 opens in Philippine cinemas September 13. 

**The interviews for this article were done before the SAG-AFTRA strike.**

Connect with the hashtag #TheEqualizer3

In the riveting culmination of the trilogy The Equalizer 3, the enigmatic life of Robert McCall takes center stage once again. While his mission to aid those in need has provided him a semblance of comfort, it’s clear that violence has left an indelible mark on his identity, and that can’t endure indefinitely. Denzel Washington, reprising his signature role, delves into McCall’s internal struggles, stating, “He’s grappling with his inner demons. This film distinguishes itself from the first two by delving into a more personal narrative. It’s about his redemption and the art of letting go.”

“He’s going through an internal battle,” says Antoine Fuqua, who returns to direct the third film in the trilogy and fifth overall with Washington. “He’s helping those who can’t help themselves, handing out justice his way to evil people. But he’s questioning himself. Has he gone too far? Is he enjoying it too much? Is he still doing it for the right reasons?”

Producers Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal say that the reason that The Equalizer franchise has resonated so strongly with audiences is that it echoes with who Washington is in real life – minus the violence. “Robert McCall is able to take care of good people who can’t take care of themselves,” they say. “Denzel, as a human being, really believes in mission-oriented goals… I think it’s the same thing here with Robert McCall – he uses his powers to serve good. He, as both Denzel and as Robert McCall, are going to make sure that the good people are protected. The fun of it is tracking them down – he gives them all an opportunity to stop what they’re doing, and they don’t, and so he has to become the Equalizer.”

The trouble for McCall, says Washington, is that he’s become a little too enamored by that idea – to his peril. “He has gotten addicted to this so-called ‘justice’ and crossed the line into unnecessary violence,” adds Washington. “He pays a price. And he has to deal with himself, and rely on others, and break out of his patterns, or he will die. Through that, hopefully, he finds peace.”

“What I wanted to explore was a man on the verge,” Fuqua continues. “McCall is on the verge of a question – what else does he have to live for? His wife is gone; Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is gone. It seems like he does the right thing, but he’s constantly punished. And so I think he’s on the verge, and he has to think about what he’s going to do with his life.”

The Equalizer 3 brings Robert McCall abroad for the first time. “The plan was always that the third film would go overseas,” says screenwriter Richard Wenk. “I had never been to Italy, but I knew that Denzel spends a lot of time there. So, during the pandemic, I did a lot of research. I thought that Italy would be the place that McCall might end up finding a place for himself.”

The Equalizer 3, also starring Dakota Fanning, opens in Philippine cinemas September 13. 

**The interviews for this article were done before the writers and actors strikes.**

About The Equalizer 3

Following his departure from the realm of government assassination, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) grapples with reconciling his haunting past. Discovering a semblance of solace in rendering justice on behalf of the downtrodden, he finds himself unexpectedly at home in Southern Italy. However, he stumbles upon the plight of his newfound friends, ensnared by local crime syndicates. In the face of escalating danger, McCall embraces his duty: to shield his friends by taking on the mafia.

Helmed by director Antoine Fuqua and penned by Richard Wenk, inspired by the TV series by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim.

The film boasts a cast led by Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, and Gaia Scodellaro.

Arriving in cinemas on September 13, The Equalizer 3 receives its Philippine distribution through Columbia Pictures, a local arm of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Join the conversation with #TheEqualizer3.

_{Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”}