Equalizer 3 Director Reveals How Denzel Washington Watches And Gives Notes On His Movies
The two men have been collaborating for over 20 years.
Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua have maintained a strong working relationship for over 20 years at this point. The actor and filmmaker first had the chance to collaborate in the making of the Oscar-winning crime thriller Training Day back in 2001, and in the 22 years since then they have worked together to make a full Equalizer trilogy and the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven. It’s clear that both men feel they are part of a productive partnership, and Fuqua recently explained that their conversations about their projects together don’t stop on the final day of production.
Interviewing the filmmaker last month during the virtual press day for The Equalizer 3, I asked about the influence that Denzel Washington had on the movie in post-production – given the fact that he is not only plays the lead but is also one of the film’s producers. The director told me that Washington doesn’t make a habit of being personally involved and present when one of their collaborations is being cut together, but they do arrange a private preview screening for him so that he can offer his thoughts. Said Fuqua,
Denzel Washington, of course, is not just one of the most acclaimed and well-regarded actors of his generation (if not all time). He is also an experienced filmmaker, having made his directorial debut with Antoine Fisher the year after he first worked with Antoine Fuqua on Training Day. He surely has more thoughts to give on any of his films beyond his own personal contributions, so it’s understandable that Fuqua would value his input.
Expanding on how Washington watches the movies that they’ve made together, the director noted that he gets a proper big screen experience, and his screening is followed by a conversation where he offers his opinions. Fuqua explained that it’s valuable in part just because the actor comes to the feature with fresher eyes than his own:
Featuring a cast that also includes Dakota Fanning (a special Man on Fire reunion), David Denman, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Remo Girone, Gaia Scodellaro, Andrea Scarduzio, and Andrea Dodero, The Equalizer 3 is now playing in theaters everywhere – with many critics calling it the best in the trilogy.
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Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.
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