The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3 is a 2023 American vigilante action-thriller 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, Eugenio Mastrandrea, David Denman, Gaia Scodellaro, 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 $186 million worldwide against a $70 million budget.
Plot
At a secluded winery in Sicily, Robert McCall kills crime enforcer Lorenzo Vitale and his henchmen to obtain a key to the winery's vault and recoup money stolen in a cyber-heist. While leaving the winery, Robert is shot in the back by Vitale's adolescent grandson. Robert considers suicide due to his injury, but finds his gun out of bullets and then takes 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 a fictional remote coastal Italian town called Altamonte, where he is treated by small-town doctor Enzo Arisio. Robert gets acquainted with the locals 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 fenethylline 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, pressurising local store owner Angelo for payments. To make an example, the Camorra firebombs Angelo's fish store as the entire town watches. Bonucci reviews video of the firebombing and calls the Italian central police for an inquiry. Along with his wife and daughter, Bonucci is later attacked by the Camorra and beaten for interfering in their operations.
Sometime after, 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 Vincent, Marco's brother and 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 does not reveal himself. Robert does, but 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, Robert 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 finds a note from Robert congratulating her, and declaring her mother would be proud of her - revealing Collins to be the daughter of Robert’s longtime friend and colleague Susan Plummer. 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
as Aminah
Remo Girone as Enzo Arisio
Andrea Scarduzio as Vincent Quaranta
Andrea Dodero as Marco Quaranta
Daniele Perrone as Angelo
as Gabriella Bonucci
Sonia Ben Ammar as Chiara Bonucci
as Lorenzo Vitale
as Vincent's Man
Alessandro Pess as Viking
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. Washington was paid $20 million for his involvement. 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.
Music
Soundtrack
In May 2023, Marcelo Zarvos was roped in to score the film's music after previously collaborating with Fuqua in Brooklyn's Finest (2009), What's My Name: Muhammad Ali (2019), The Guilty (2021) and Emancipation (2022). He replaced Harry Gregson-Williams, who scored the previous instalments in the trilogy as well as Fuqua's The Replacement Killers and Infinite.
Release
The Equalizer 3 was released by Sony Pictures Releasing on September 1, 2023 in both conventional formats and IMAX. It received a release on premium video on demand formats on October 3, 2023.
Reception
Box office
, The Equalizer 3 has grossed $92 million in the United States and Canada, and $93.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $185.5 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
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)
References
External links
2023 action thriller films
2023 crime drama films
2020s American films
2020s English-language films
2020s vigilante films
American action thriller films
American crime drama films
American films about revenge
American sequel films
American vigilante films
Columbia Pictures films
Escape Artists films
Films about the Central Intelligence Agency
Films about the Sicilian Mafia
Films based on television series
Films directed by Antoine Fuqua
Films produced by Antoine Fuqua
Films produced by Clayton Townsend
Films produced by Denzel Washington
Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos
Films shot in Naples
Films shot in Rome
Films with screenplays by Richard Wenk
The Equalizer
Films set in Campania
Films set in Langley, Virginia
Films set in Naples
Films set in Rome
Films set in Sicily
Films about the Camorra