The upcoming adaptation of the 80s action television series The Equalizer, which has Denzel Washington set to star, has been having a bit of trouble holding on to a director. At first it looked as though Drive helmer Nicolas Winding Refn was going to make the film, until he departed citing creative differences, and now the project has lost its second director.
Deadline has written up a quick report that says Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt is no longer attached to direct The Equalizer. The filmmaker has been connected to the movie since the middle of last month, but unlike the situation with Winding Refn, his departure is simply due to scheduling conflicts. The news shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has seen his upcoming slate, which includes both Agent 13, the thriller with Charlize Theron and Birdsong, the WWII love story starring Nicholas Hoult.
Sony and Escape Artists are still on the hunt for a director and according to the most recent report, they "will lock in a helmer shortly." The film will star Washingotn as a former intelligence officer working at Home Depot trying to live a normal life. That all changes, however, when he finds himself working to help a person trapped in a situation with the Russian mob.
Previous reports have said that the studio was considering Peter Berg as a possible director, so could that option still be on the table? If his vision of the project could potentially sync up with Washington's it could be a good match.
