Principal photography began in June 2013 on location and took place in different cities of Massachusetts. This was the first film to have Village Roadshow Pictures co-finance the deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment since Saving Silverman in 2001. The film was premiered at 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014, and released worldwide on September 26. The film has grossed $12,600,000 worldwide against its budget of $55 million.
Plot
Denzel Washington plays McCall, a middle aged retired intelligent officer who believes he has put his Special Forces past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by—he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, they call the Equalizer.
Publication Information
- Title : The Equalizer
- Directed by : Antoine Fuqua
- Produced by : Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Denzel Washington, Alex Siskin, Steve Tisch, Mace Neufeld, Tony Eldridge, Michael Sloan
- Screenplay by : Richard Wenk
- Based on : The Equalizer by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim
- Starring : Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo
- Music by : Harry Gregson-Williams
- Cinematography : Mauro Fiore
- Edited by : John Refoua
- Production company : Village Roadshow Pictures, Escape Artists
- Distributed by : Columbia Pictures
- Release dates : September 7, 2014 (TIFF), September 26, 2014 (United States)
- Running time : 131 minutes
- Country : United States
- Language : English
- Budget : $55 million
- Box office : $12,600,000
- Denzel Washington as Robert McCall
- Marton Csokas as Teddy
- Chloë Grace Moretz as Teri
- David Harbour as Masters
- Haley Bennett as Mandy
- Bill Pullman as Brian Plummer
- Melissa Leo as Susan Plummer
- David Meunier as Slavi
- Johnny Skourtis as Ralphie
- Alex Veadov as Tevi
- Vladimir Kulich as Vladimir Pushkin
- E. Roger Mitchell as Lead Investigator
- James Wilcox as Pederson
- Mike O'Dea as Remar
- Anastasia Sanidopoulos Mousis as Jenny
- Allen Maldonado as Marcus
- Rhet Kidd as Jay
- Mike Morell as HM Brian
- Matt Lasky as Marat
- Shawn Fitzgibbon as Little John Looney
- Vitaliy Shtabnoy as Andri
- Timothy John Smith as Detective Gilly
- Robert Wahlberg as Detective Harris
- William Xifaras as Home Mart Laborer
Development
In June 2010 it was announced that Russell Crowe was looking to bring The Equalizer to the big screen directed by Paul Haggis, with Crowe attached to play Robert McCall.
In December 2011, it was reported that Denzel Washington would star in the title role of the film version, to be financed by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Escape Artists. Director Antoine Fuqua came on board to direct on March 21, 2013, reuniting him with Washington after their successful collaboration on the 2001 Oscar-winning film Training Day. Chloë Grace Moretz was announced as a co-star on May 10, 2013. On May 31, 2013, Melissa Leo was cast in the film. Leo previously worked with Washington in the 2012 film Flight, and with Fuqua in Olympus Has Fallen (2013).
Filming
Filming began in June 2013 with locations in Salisbury, Hamilton, Chelsea, Haverhill, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Music
On June 21, 2013, Harry Gregson-Williams was hired to compose the music for the film. Varèse Sarabande released a soundtrack album for The Equalizer on September 23, 2014.
Marketing and promotion
The first official image from the film was released on December 6, 2013. Sony originally planned on an April 11, 2014 release date, but pushed it back to September 26, 2014. The first official poster for the film was released on April 16, 2014. On April 22, USA Today revealed photos from the film. On May 24, the trailer for the film was released. On June 12, another official trailer for the film was released. On July 16, the IMAX poster for the film was released.
On August 25, 2014, previews of the song "Guts Over Fear", by singer Eminem and featuring Sia, with production by Emile Haynie, premiered in trailers for the film.
Release
The film had a premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014. Sony released the film in IMAX screen theaters worldwide on September 26, 2014.
Box Office
As of September 26, 2014, The Equalizer had earned $12,600,000 in North America, for a worldwide total of $12,600,000.
The film is projected bring $28–$30 million in its first weekend from 3,234 theaters. The film's distributor, Sony, is expecting its opening weekend gross around the mid-to-high $20 millions, as none of Washington's films have ever opened less than $20 million since his 2003 film Out of Time. The film earned $12.6 million from 3,236 theaters in its first opening night on September 26.
Reception
The Equalizer has received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 59%, based on 108 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's consensus states: "The Equalizer is more stylishly violent than meaningful, but with Antoine Fuqua behind the cameras and Denzel Washington dispensing justice, it delivers." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 52 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Sequel
On February 24, 2014, it was announced that Sony Pictures and Escape Artists are planning a sequel to the film, with Richard Wenk penning the script.
Related Post : Source : wikipedia
