DENZEL WASHINGTON AND DIRECTOR ANTOINE FUQUA TEAM UP AGAIN IN “THE EQUALIZER 3”

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: https://youtu.be/inN061MtPOg

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

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

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (2016)

Also stars: Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke

THE EQUALIZER 2 (2018)

Also stars: Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman

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

(ROHN ROMULO)