The dynamic duo that brought the world The Equalizer and, more recently, The Magnificent Seven, will be teaming up again for The Equalizer 2. Denzel Washington is set to take up the mantle of Robert McCall in the sequel and Antoine Fuqua is set to direct him.
The news of Fuqua’s return to the franchise is welcome news. Sequels can always take a turn for the worse, but with both Washington and Fuqua on board, the second move in the Equalizer franchise could be just what fans have been waiting for.
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Speaking of waiting, The Equalizer 2 was set to release on September 29, 2017, but producer Todd Black recently mentioned that it’s likely that they won’t even begin shooting until that time next year.
“The script is done. We start shooting right after Labor Day, maybe right before labor day depending on Denzel’s schedule,” Black said. “So Equalizer 2 will start shooting in September of next year, maybe earlier depending on another movie that we’re shooting with Denzel before that.”
So, between now and then fans will just have to keep their ears to the ground for more exciting news about the film. For example, the new nemesis for McCall hasn’t been cast yet. Black confirmed that their next pre-production move is to get that character cast, then they’ll be one step closer to nailing down that filming date – hopefully.
Black also spoke about getting Washington to take part in his franchise. The two have been friends for years, so Black had the advantage of knowing what Washington was looking to do in terms of future films. And what had he always wanted? A franchise.
“He’s always wanted to do a franchise, and he liked the Bourne movies, the earlier ones,” Black said. “I’ve had a friendship with him for 27 years and we’ve talked about him doing a franchise character, so when my partners and I got the right to Equalizer, we were like, ‘Let’s get Denzel to finally do one. This could be the one.”
Apparently, Washington thoroughly enjoyed how the character was written because he signed on. Now fans will just have to wait for more like Denzel waited for just the right franchise.
[H/T Collider]
