When The Equalizer came out, I was lucky enough to interview lead actor Denzel Washington and his director, Antoine Fuqua, about the bare-knuckled vengeance drama. And I specifically wanted to ask them about the complications of filming one scene: The final standoff in a Home Depot where the sprinkler systems are going off. It looks great on camera, but it's HELL on the actors who have to endure rainy conditions for days on end while filming. Fuqua laughed his head off as Denzel recollected how angry the shoot made him. So in Las Vegas this week for The Equalizer 2, I had to as Fuqua what fresh hell he's putting poor Denzel through inthe pending sequel, and with a laugh, the director told CinemaBlend exclusively:
Oh my God... there's a hurricane. There's a hurricane.
When I asked if Denzel Washington actually signed off on this force of nature before shooting, Antoine Fuqua responded:
Yeah, kinda. [Laughs] Until one day, the waves came up and the wind hit, and he kind of gave me this look and walked away. And I thought, 'That can't happen again!' [Laughs]
Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua have a long, rich collaborative history that dates back to 2001's Training Day (which won Denzel his Best Actor Oscar), and also includes The Equalizer and the recent Western, The Magnificent Seven. A bond of trust exists, though Fuqua keeps testing it by putting his leading man, now 63, through rigorous physical demands on the sets of their movies. The finale of The Equalizer didn't HAVE to be set in a sprinkler-soaked Home Depot. It just looked cooler. I don't know how Fuqua is going to make a hurricane part of The Equalizer 2. I guarantee it will look great, and Denzel will look upset.
You can see the storm hinted at in the most recent trailer:
But it's hard to pay that much attention to it because we're so focused on Denzel Washington breaking limbs and stabbing necks. He's super intense in these Equalizer movies, and we are here for it. Are you here to see Antoine Fuqua giggle as he recollects punishing his Oscar-winning leading man with a manufactured hurricane? Sure you are. Play this now:
Denzel Washington rolls up on some bad dudes when The Equalizer 2 arrives in theaters on July 20. It's part of a busy summer season at the cinemas. To stay on top of all that's coming down the pipeline, bookmark our Movie Release Calendar right now.
