Though he’s putting the finishing touches on Only God Forgives, his follow up to the critically acclaimed Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn already has his eye on his next project. According to THR, the Danish director will be helming Sony’s remake of The Equalizer, based on the 1980s TV series. For those who haven’t been keeping up on the project, Denzel Washington is set to star as a man who works as a “freelance “fixer” in order to make up for his dark past.”
The Equalizer has seen a lot of talent come and go, with directors like Pierre Morel, Gareth Evans and Gavin O’Connor all attached at one point. In fact, when the project first came about, Paul Haggis and Russel Crowe were set to take it on. Now though, it finally looks like things will get off the ground with The Expendables 2 writer Richard Wenk’s script serving as the backbone for the film.
While the project hasn’t turned too many heads up until this point, now that Refn is attached I think people are going to sit up and take notice. The plot may make the project sound generic but with an exciting director like Nicolas Winding Refn at the helm and Denzel Washington coming off a career best performance in Flight, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship for the two filmmakers. It may also be the start of a franchise for Washington. Either way, with Refn at the helm, I can’t see much going wrong, especially if he gets to take a pass at the script.
With a release date set for April 11, 2014, you can expect to hear more news on the film in the near future. For now though, head down to the comments and let us know what you make of Nicolas Winding Refn directing the film. Are you excited to see him at the helm? Do you think this is a good project for him?