As bummed as we are that Antoine Fuqua, Denzel Washington and the cast and crew of The Equalizer franchise have moved on from Boston — we’ve heard epic stories of the first film’s shoot some 10 years ago from those in the know — we’re absolutely stoked to check out a brand-new installment of one of the straight-up strangest action franchises in recent memory. Seriously, if you haven’t watched either of the two previous films, make sure you set aside some time (it’s not like they aren’t in regular rotation on TNT, for Christ’s sake), even if you don’t plan on checking out The Equalizer 3. This time, Denzel’s taking on the mob on their home turf in Southern Italy, and we do not think the odds will be as equal as the Mafiosos might hope. Sony Pictures dropped the film’s first trailer at CinemaCon in Vegas earlier on Tuesday, and it’s a goodie.
Peep the red-band trailer (which means if you are, in fact, at work, you should probably wait until you’re at home to check this one out):
Here’s a synopsis:
“Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel 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 Equalizer 3 hits theaters on September 1. How’s that for a Labor Day movie outing? It’s almost like they’re trying to make that holiday the new Fourth of July with all the fireworks that Fuqua and Washington are gonna bring.