The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3
File:The Equalizer 3 poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Antoine Fuqua
Produced by	Todd Black Jason Blumenthal Denzel Washington Antoine Fuqua Steve Tisch Clayton Townsend Alex Siskin Tony Eldridge
Written by	Richard Wenk
Based on	The Equalizer by Michael Sloan Richard Lindheim
Starring	Denzel Washington Dakota Fanning David Denman Sonia Ammar Remo Girone
Music by	Marcelo Zarvos
Cinematography	Robert Richardson
Edited by	Conrad Buff
Production company	Columbia Pictures Eagle Pictures Escape Artists Zhiv Productions
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates	August 28, 2023 (2023-08-28) (Rome) September 1, 2023 (2023-09-01) (United States)
Running time	109 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$70 million
Box office	$150.3 million

The Equalizer 3 is a 2023 American vigilante action film directed by Antoine Fuqua. It is a sequel to The Equalizer 2 and the final installment of The Equalizer trilogy, which is loosely based on the television series of the same name. The film stars Denzel Washington, reprising his role as retired U.S. Marine and DIA officer Robert McCall, with Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone in supporting roles. In the film, McCall discovers that his new friends of a small town in South Italy are intimidated by members of the Camorra, where he sets out to free them from their control.

Discussions over a third entry to the Equalizer franchise began following its second film release on August 2, 2018. The project was officially announced in January 2022. Filming began on October 10, 2022 on the Amalfi Coast in Italy and continued in the region until November 20, after which it moved to Naples in early December, before wrapping production by January 2023, in Rome. Robert Richardson serves as director of photography on the project, after previously working with Fuqua on Emancipation (2022).

The Equalizer 3 was released in the United States on September 1, 2023 by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $150 million worldwide.

Plot

At a secluded winery in Sicily, crime enforcer Lorenzo Vitale finds his many henchmen have been brutally killed by retired U.S. Marine and DIA operative Robert McCall, who is waiting in the basement and held at gunpoint by two of Vitale's bodyguards. Robert kills him and the rest of the gangsters to obtain a key to the winery's vault and recoup money stolen in a cyber-heist, but is shot in the back by Vitale's adolescent son while leaving the winery. Due to his debilitating injury, he puts his pistol to his head and pulls the trigger, but finds his gun is out of bullets. He then stumbles and makes his way to the ferry to go back to the mainland.

While driving on the Amalfi Coast, Robert pulls over and slips into unconsciousness from shock, where he is found and rescued by Gio Bonucci, a local carabiniere. Bonucci brings him to Altamonte, a remote coastal Italian town, where he is treated by small-town doctor Enzo Arisio. Robert gets acquainted with the locals, including a waitress named Aminah, and becomes fond of the town and its people. Robert makes an anonymous phone call to CIA officer Emma Collins to tip her off about the winery's role in the illegal drug trade disguised as normal business transactions in Sicily. Collins and other CIA operatives arrive at the winery and find millions in cash along with bags of Captagon tablets hidden in a storeroom, confirming Robert's suspicions.

Meanwhile, the members of the Camorra harass and kill villagers in an attempt to coerce them out of their housing and take over Altamonte for commercialization purposes. Robert overhears Marco Quaranta, a high-ranking Camorra member, pressure a local seafood storeowner named Angelo for payments. To make an example, the Camorra firebomb Angelo's fish store as the entire town watches. Bonucci reviews video of the firebombing and calls the Italian central police for an inquiry. Bonucci, his wife and daughter are later attacked by the Camorra and beaten for interfering in their operations. Later, Marco demands that Bonucci set up a boat for them; overhearing them, Robert requests them to move their operations to a different location.

When Marco refuses, Robert kills him and his henchmen. The Naples head of police is threatened and tortured by Marco's brother Vincent, who is head of the Camorra, to find the person behind Marco's death. Vincent has Collins' car rigged with a bomb, but she survives after Robert warns her. Vincent later threatens to shoot Bonucci in front of the entire town if Robert doesn't reveal himself. Robert does, and before Vincent can kill him, the citizens begin to record the ordeal, causing Vincent and the rest of the Camorra to retreat with plans to retaliate the following day.

Later that night, Robert infiltrates Vincent’s home and stealthily kills his bodyguards, then he forces Vincent to take a lethal dose of his own drugs to kill him. Through Collins, Robert returns the money he had taken from the winery to an elderly couple's pension fund. Back in Langley, Virginia, Collins receives a promotion for her role in ending the Altamonte drug trade. She is then revealed to be the daughter of Robert's late handler Susan Plummer and her husband Brian. With the Quaranta brothers dead, Robert celebrates with the locals after their team wins a football tournament.

Cast

• Denzel Washington as Robert McCall
• Dakota Fanning as Emma Collins
• Eugenio Mastrandrea as Gio Bonucci
• David Denman as Frank Conroy
• Sonia Ben Ammar as Chiara Bonucci
• Remo Girone as Enzo Arisio
• Gaia Scodellaro as Aminah
• Andrea Scarduzio as Vincent Quaranta
• Andrea Dodero as Marco Quaranta
• Salvatore Ruocco as Salvatore
• Alessandro Pess as Vichingo
• Bruno Bilotta as Lorenzo Vitale

Production

Development

In August 2018, Antoine Fuqua announced his plans to continue the film series. The filmmaker expressed interest in the plot taking place in an international setting.

By January 2022, a third film was officially confirmed to be in development, with Denzel Washington returning in the titular role. In June 2022, Dakota Fanning was announced to have been cast as well. By November 2022, Sonia Ben Ammar, Andrea Dodero, Remo Girone, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Daniele Perrone, Andrea Scarduzio, and Gaia Scodellaro were added to the cast.

Filming

Principal photography began on October 10, 2022 on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Filming continued in the region until November 20, after which it moved to Naples in early December, before wrapping production by January 2023, in Rome. Fuqua once again served as director, with Washington announcing that it would be his next movie. Robert Richardson serves as director of photography on the project, after previously working with Fuqua on Emancipation.

Release

The Equalizer 3 was released by Sony Pictures Releasing on September 1, 2023, in both conventional formats and IMAX.

Reception

Box office

As of September 27, 2023, The Equalizer 3 has grossed $82.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $67.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $150.3 million.

In the United States and Canada, The Equalizer 3 was projected to gross $28–30 million from 3,965 theaters in its opening weekend, and a total of $33–40 million over the four-day Labor Day frame. The film made $13.1 million on its first day, including $3.8 million from Thursday night previews, up from the totals of the first ($1.5 million) and second ($3.1 million) films. It went on to debut to $34.6 million (and a total of $42.8 million over the four days), topping the box office and marking the second-best Labor Day weekend of all-time, after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). In its second weekend, the film fell 65% to $12 million, finishing second behind newcomer The Nun II.

Its biggest territories outside the United States and Canada were the United Kingdom ($7.9 million), Australia ($4.8 million), and Spain ($3.2 million).

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 142 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Another entertaining outing from Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington, The Equalizer 3 mostly makes up for its formulaic story with generous helpings of cathartic action." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, same as the previous installment, while those polled at PostTrak gave it a 90% overall positive score, with 72% saying they would definitely recommend the film.

The Independent's Clarrise Loughrey gave the film 3/5 stars, writing, "At its best – and The Equalizer 3 is about as good as the first film – it neatly counterbalances Fuqua's baroque, blood-and-guts action with Washington's ability to command attention while sitting perfectly still." The Sunday Times's Tom Shone also gave it 3/5 stars, writing, "Whether enjoying a cappuccino, flirting with a waitress or snapping men's forearms, Washington makes it all seem like a movie star enjoying a midlife dolce vita moment." Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "For those who can tolerate extreme violence, The Equalizer 3 is diverting enough. If the script is so-so, the beautiful Italian locations, Mr. Washington's still-world-class charm and an eerie, frightening musical score by Marcelo Zarvos lift it."

Potential future

In August 2023, Fuqua stated that there have been discussions to develop a prequel movie detailing the origins of Robert McCall. The filmmaker stated that using de-aging technology to make Washington appear younger is an option, while he would also consider casting John David Washington or Michael B. Jordan in the role. Later that month, Fuqua stated that while The Equalizer 3 was talked about internally as the final film chronologically, he would be interested in returning as director for a future installment if Denzel Washington was interested in returning to the role.

See also

• The Equalizer 3 (soundtrack)

External links

• The Equalizer 3 at IMDb