Denzel Washington Reunion With Dakota Fanning Was A Dream Come True
Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington have reunited after 20 years to film Equalizer 3 together.
Almost two decades after starring in Man on Fire, Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning reunite for The Equalizer 3 (catch the trailer here). While the actress hasn’t appeared in previous installments, she’s excited to share the screen with her former co-star again. “I think it’s so rare to work with someone when you’re nine years old and then work with them again in your 20s,” she told Entertainment Tonight.
The pair appeared together at CinemaCon, where attendees got a look at the trailer before anyone else. The 29-year-old added that working with Denzel Washington again was “a dream come true,”, especially as a fan of the first two Equalizer films. “Getting to join it and be a little part of it was amazing,” Dakota Fanning continued.
Billed as a vigilante action film, The Equalizer 3 is directed by Antoine Fuqua from a script by Richard Wenk. The story follows retired U.S. Marine and former CIA officer Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), who has settled into a quiet life in Southern Italy. But he soon discovers that his new friends are being controlled by the local crime syndicate.
When the situation becomes deadly, McCall takes on the gang to protect his friends. Based on the television series of the same name, the film also stars David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone. The project is the fifth collaboration between Denzel Washington and Fuqua. The pair previously worked on Training Day, The Magnificent Seven, and the first two Equalizer movies.
While details about Dakota Fanning’s character are scarce, the actress said she is “a kind of low-level CIA agent who gets a mysterious phone call” from someone who alerts her to the criminal activity in Italy. “She meets McCall and has to figure out why he called her and what is really going on,” she told Entertainment Tonight.
“I’ll get to go toe-to-toe with Denzel [Washington], which is always fun. Getting to work with the best, you absorb the best,” she continued. Distributed by Sony Pictures, The Equalizer 3 will hit theaters on September 1.
Denzel Washington also shared his excitement about returning to the franchise, describing the experience as “unfinished business.” The actor also explained how fans always ask about a third Equalizer movie. “I talk to them about other films [and] they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, Fences, yeah, good movie. But when is the next Equalizer?’”
Released in 2014, the first Equalizer movie saw Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) take on the Russian mafia to save a young girl. The movie was a box office success, earning over $192 million at the global box office against a budget of $55 million. The film was also critically successful, receiving praise for its action sequences and acting.
Due to its positive reception, a sequel, The Equalizer 2, was released in 2018. This time Robert McCall seeks revenge after the murder of a close friend. The movie featured a talented supporting cast, including Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, and Orson Bean.
Dakota Fanning is also set to star in Ripley. Billed as a psychological thriller, the series is based on the 1955 crime novel by Patricia Highsmith called The Talented Mr. Ripley. The show was initially set to air on Showtime but was moved to Netflix in February, with a release date expected in late 2023 or early 2024.
