‘The Equalizer 2′ Moving Forward After Positive Test Screenings; Denzel Washington Expected To Return

While we’re still seven months away from the release of ‘The Equalizer,’ The Wrap have caught wind that Sony Pictures and Escape Artists are feeling confident in their Denzel Washington thriller, as screenwriter Richard Wenk has closed a deal to write the sequel. According to the outlet, ‘The Equalizer’ has been testing through the roof, prompting Sony to move quickly on a sequel so the project has momentum by the time the first film hits the big screen on September 26th. A mid-December test screening reportedly earned the highest scores for an R-rated movie in the Sony Pictures’ history.

Denzel Washington is expected to reprise his role in ‘The Equalizer 2,’ though there is no deal in place yet. He may have to renegotiate his contract, as his original deal did not include an option for a sequel despite the fact that Sony Picturs has long viewed the property as a potential franchise. Washington has never starred in a sequel, but ‘The Equalizer 2′ is poised to be his first should director Antoine Fuqua’s film prove to be a hit later this year.

‘The Equalizer’ is based on the 1980s TV show that starred Edward Woodward as the title character. In this movie version Denzel Washington is playing Robert McCall, a retired intelligence officer who helps the powerless. Living a quiet life while working at a Home Depot, one of his acts of kindness towards a prostitute (Chloë Grace Moretz) gets him embroiled with the Russian mob. Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, Haley Bennett, David Harbour and Marton Csokas also star. Antoine Fuqua previously directed Washington in ‘Training Day.’