Training Day is one of the gems of early 2000’s cinema. It featured both Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke at the height of their games and the movie displayed a raw and gritty take on what it meant to be a police officer in the modern age, not shying away from some of the harsh truths, even while it was exaggerating them.
The film, which was written by David Ayer and directed by Antoine Fuqua, went on to become a huge hit with fans and grossed more than $100 million at the box office. It was also a critical darling, with reviewers gushing over the no holds barred story.
Denzel Washington’s portrayal of the egomaniacal Detective Alonzo Harris was particularly lauded, with many calling it one of his best performances. Washington would go on to be nominated for a plethora of awards, too, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, which he actually ended up winning.
Now, almost 20 years after the film hit theaters, Warner Bros. is gearing for a prequel, which will take place in 1992, just days before the Rodney King verdict was handed down. This certainly allows for a scenario that’s rife with tension, as Los Angeles would explode into riots shortly after the controversial decision.
Moreover, the studio has begun assembling the creative team, tapping rising screenwriter Nick Yarborough, whose Letters from Rosemary Kennedy was voted to the 2016 Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays.
Past him, however, there are scant few details on the production or who’s involved. One rumor, though, has suggested that Washington’s son, John David Washington, currently starring as part of the ensemble in HBO’s Ballers, might take over his father’s iconic role.
This is certainly an inspired bit of casting, and the younger Washington definitely has the dramatic chops to pull it off, as seen in his breakout performance in Spike Lee’s BlacKKKlansman. Even so, nothing is concrete at this time, but still, this has to be exciting for fans of Training Day. Fingers crossed that if this prequel does come to pass though, it’ll do justice to the original.