'The Equalizer 3' Director Antoine Fuqua Says New Film Is More 'Violent' and 'Personal' (Exclusive)

Denzel Washington reprises his role as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 3, which is out in theatres now. Once again, Washington has teamed up with director Antoine Fuqua, who directed Washington in the last two Equalizer films as well as in Training Day and The Magnificent Seven. PopCulture.com spoke exclusively to Fuqua who described how The Equalizer 3 stands out from the previous two franchise movies. 

"Robert McCall's definitely in a darker place," Fuqua exclusively told PopCulture. "He's in a different place. It takes place obviously in Italy, in a foreign land, and the violence is much more intense this time and much more personal." Fuqua went on to explain why the story (and production) of The Equalizer 3 takes place in Italy while the first two took place in the Boston area. 

"[Washington has] been spending time there since his kids were little," Fuqua explained. "I've been spending some time there a lot lately, and I just love the place. And also, I've always imagined Denzel as being a much more international movie star, and it'd be great to put him in a setting such as Italy."

Fans' eagerness to see the next chapter in The Equalizer series aside, The Equalizer 3 is highly anticipated because Washington reunites with Dakota Fanning, who plays Emma Collins in the movie. Washington and Fanning starred in the 2004 film Man on Fire when she was only 10 years old. And now that she's 29, fans get to see her and Washington have a new on-screen dynamic. 

"I love having Dakota on the project. I mean, first, she's a great actress," Fuqua said. "She really is so talented. But putting her together with Denzel, again, I loved Man on Fire as well. She was a baby there. But to be able to be the director, to put them back together again, and The Equalizer was just so much fun for me to watch and to see how Denzel really loves Dakota and he enjoyed working with her and she enjoyed working with him."

Fuqua enjoys working with Washington since they have worked on five different movies together. When asked about his relationship with the two-time Academy Award winner, Fuqua said Washington is "always challenging" and "always intense. He always comes with his A game, he makes you come with your A game," Fuqua said. "And I think that having an actor like Denzel certainly makes my life easier because I never have to worry about my lead. I can focus on everything else."