Next year marks the 20th anniversary for the release of director Tony Scott’s action masterpiece Man on Fire. The film that teamed a young Dakota Fanning alongside the ever amazing Denzel Washington, it was a pairing for the ages. Both Fanning and Washington might agree with that statement themselves, as they’ve kept up a decades-long friendship after making that film thanks to some family ties.
As the world readies itself for this reunion through The Equalizer 3, Fanning spoke with ET about how she’s kept in touch her former scene partner for so long. The connection has been maintained because of Dakota Fanning being a friend of the family, which she described through the following terms:
I've obviously, you know, known Denzel for a big part of my life, and one of his daughters is one of my closest friends, so I'm always in the loop. … He has always been so good to me and kind to me, and I feel such a connection to him because he's known me for so long. It's most people's dream to get to work with him once, so to get to work with him twice at different stages in my life is a real treat.
It certainly surprised the world when Ms. Fanning was announced as part of the Equalizer 3 cast. Playing the still-mysterious role of Emma in director Antoine Fuqua’s trilogy-capper, the news of this Man on Fire reunion had everyone thinking back to the time when Denzel Washington cut down a path of destruction when trying to save Dakota Fanning from a grisly end. Decades later, Dakota still gushes about the experience, further hyping this new rematch between the two co-stars.
Of course, we’re still not sure how these two people are supposed to interact with one another. The most we’ve seen of this anticipated second round is in the Equalizer 3 trailer, where Emma (Dakota Fanning) politely inquires about some murders that may or may not have been committed by Robert McCall (Denzel Washington). Naturally, our titular hero plays the situation with a laugh and a smile, which isn’t too far from how Man on Fire’s Creasy might have handled the same question from young Pita.
The energy of mentor and mentee is still strong with the Fanning/Washington pairing, which gives The Equalizer 3 the potential to see both parties kicking ass together. That is, unless some sort of hidden betrayal is lurking that we haven’t seen quite yet. Though uncertainty may reign on screen, the real-life friendship of Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning sounds as strong as ever, and that's something sweet to hold onto in any case.
Audiences can witness the long awaited reunion of these two acting titans in The Equalizer 3, which opens as part of the 2023 movie release schedule on September 1st. For those of you looking to revisit Man On Fire, a Max subscription is the current streaming option that will allow you to do so.
