In July it was confirmed that Denzel Washington had been set to star in The Equalizer, an adaptation of the action/crime television series from the mid-to-late 1980s that starred Edward Woodward as a retired intelligence agent cum private detective who worked to help his clients "equalize" threatening situations. At the time it was said that Richard Wenk, writer of 16 Blocks, The Mechanic and The Expendables 2, had been hired to handle scripting duties, but there was no news about a prospective helmer. Today it seems they have found their man - and it's an absolutely brilliant choice.
Deadline reports that Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish filmmaker who is best known for making Bronson and Drive, has been chosen to direct The Equalizer and will begin negotiations with Sony Pictures and Escape Artists for the job. Described as a being only "loosely based" on the original series, the studio is aiming to have the movie in front of cameras by the end of spring next year, but there's no mention of when they are targeting having the movie ready for theaters. After sixth months of development Wenk is still the man with the pen, but it's unknown if that will change once Winding Refn is locked in (he is known for writing most of the films he directs, however, there are some exceptions).
Refn's next film, Only God Forgives, is currently in post-production, but doesn't currently have distribution in the United States. That said, look for the film, which stars Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas, to be released sometime in 2013.
