Posted in: Movies, Sony | Tagged: dakota fanning, denzel washington, film, the equalizer 3

Equalizer 3 Director on Creating a Man on Fire Cast Reunion

The director of The Equalizer 3 is addressing the Man on Fire reunion for its stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.

The 2004 film Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington and a young Dakota Fanning, offered the world an unexpectedly strong on-screen dynamic with a pair of actors who have since gone on to deliver impeccable performances in their respective careers consistently. More recently, the strong duo was finally reunited for Washington's third installment of The Equalizer franchise, bringing both back together for another action-heavy production nearly two decades later. So, needless to say, it's kind of an exciting reunion to look forward to!

Reuniting Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning for The Equalizer 3

While discussing the new film with ComicBook, Equalizer 3 director Antoine Fuqua was asked about any potential Man on Fire parallels. This leads him to admit, "We never talked about it collectively, but I've thought about it that way." The director tells the publication before clarifying the moment it occurred to him personally. Fuqua continues, "You know when Dakota said she was interested, I thought, 'Ah yeah! This is Man on Fire, but years later – and this is what he's doing,' you know? But I never said that to them because they're just in the characters [of Equalizer 3] in those moments. But when you see them together, man – when I saw them on set – it was just like… [holds hands up] just smiling – I was just like 'Yeah…' [laughing]."

The official plot synopsis for The Equalizer 3 reads, "Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he's done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia."

The film's cast includes Washington, Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone, with a release date planned for September 1, 2023. Will you be watching?

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