The Equalizer 3: First Trailer at CinemaCon Shows Denzel Washington Back in Action

The first trailer for The Equalizer 3 premiered at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and promises tons of action for Denzel Washignton’s Robert McCall.

Denzel Washington’s Robert McCall is going to Italy, and he’s not going there as a tourist, that’s for sure. As part of its CinemaCon presentation, Sony has unveiled the first trailer for Antoine Fuqua’s highly anticipated third installment in THE Equalizer series, Equalizer 3. Notably, the film marks Denzel Washington’s reunion with former co-star Dakota Fanning, who co-starred with him in the 2004 classic. man on fire (which is now getting a Netflix TV adaptation).

In The Equalizer 3, McCall has retired to Italy and started a surrogate family in a small village. When attacked by the Mafia, McCall goes on a rampage and begins picking off mobsters left and right. As he tells a mobster, “I love this place, you can’t take it from me.” We don’t see much of Dakota, with her only appearing at the end. She seems to embody an American investigating McCall. Like the other movies, it’s HARD-R and it looks mean.

Sony chairman Tom Rothman has worked with Denzel Washington since his early films and said he’s never seen him hit the wrong note. Denzel was actually on hand to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Antoine Fuqua, who, of course, has directed him many times, including for an Oscar nomination in training day. Before receiving the award, they showed a reel of all his best roles and it’s hard not to be blown away by the quality of his films over his career. As Rothman said, he never really hit a wrong note.

Denzel was on hand and seemed truly honored to receive the award, noting to exhibitors that he would be nothing without them. He then introduced Dakota Fanning to help set up the new movie. “Working once with Denzel Washington is a dream come true, and twice…I don’t even know,” a humble Fanning said.

In all, The equalizer turns into a great franchise for Sony. Of note, the film series is an adaptation of the classic 80s show starring Edward Woodward as an ex-spy turned urban vigilante. While the movies reinvented some things, it’s actually a pretty faithful adaptation of the show, especially the second movie, which spent a lot of time showing how McCall tried to help those he perceived to be needy, even occasionally, without violence (although – you know – we still want to see him kick ass, don’t we?). The film series also spawned an unrelated television version with Queen Latifa as the title character.Equalizer 3 hits theaters September 1.

Do you think Equalizer 3 sounds like a good third episode of this bad-ass series? Let us know in the comments!