When it comes to film series, the number three stands out for a reason: you have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Obviously there are plenty of franchises that go beyond that number, but trilogies are a basic staple of Hollywood. As such, the release of any second sequel leads to questions about it being a firm conclusion – and in the case of The Equalizer 3, director Antoine Fuqua thinks that’s what he has with the latest Denzel Washington movie.
I interviewed Fuqua earlier this month during the virtual press day for the latest big screen chapter in the Equalizer series, and one of the things I inquired about was his view on the new film being an ending of what is now a complete trilogy. His response was admittedly couched in a “never say never” apprehension, but he told me that he does see Equalizer 3 as “the end.” In his words:
I try not to speak in absolutes, you know, but I feel like this is the end. It feels right to end this way. But who knows.
Movie-goers first got to meet Denzel Washington as Robert McCall back in 2014 – the R-rated action blockbuster based on the television series of the same name seeing the protagonist in a one-man war against a group of Russian gangsters. In 2018’s The Equalizer 2, he was called back into action to investigate the murder of a friend, and in The Equalizer 3 he seeks peace in a small town in Southern Italy, but finds his calm world disrupted by the racketeering efforts of a violent local crime family. All three films have starred Washington, been directed by Antoine Fuqua, and been written by Richard Wenk – which is not something you see a whole lot of in this day and age.
So what could keep the door open for an Equalizer 4 and beyond? If we’re looking at the question from a romantic perspective, perhaps the filmmakers will imagine a story that they just have to tell with Robert McCall, and it’s such a great idea that it brings everyone back together. More realistically, however, it will be about money. The Equalizer movies don’t cost an exorbitant amount of money to produce (The Numbers pins the first film at $55 million and the first sequel at $77 million), and they have combined earned $383.3 million at the box office. If The Equalizer 3 makes as much or more than its predecessors, Sony Pictures is surely going to want to keep the train rolling.
As for the perspective of fans on whether or not this should be the end, we’ll find out this weekend. Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, and more, The Equalizer 3 will be in theaters everywhere on September 1. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with Antoine Fuqua, and get a look at all of the films set to come out between now and the end of the year with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.
