Denzel Washington to star in big screen adaptation of The Equalizer?

The most interesting info to emerge out of today's announcement by Sony that they've extended their first look deal with the Escape Artists studio, is a pretty significant update on a big screen adaptation of The Equalizer, the cult fave 1980s crime series starring Ed Woodward. Russell Crowe had long been attached to star, and in September of last year Paul Haggis(The Next Three Days) came aboard to write and possibly direct. Nothing has been heard of it since, and now we find out there was a lot going on nobody heard about.

The announcement states that Denzel Washington is now being looked at to star, with no mention of either Haggis or Crowe. Washington has worked with Escape Artists in the past on The Taking of Pelham 123. Not a shining moment in his career, but whatever. A check mark in the "Uh Oh" category goes to the selection of Richard Wenk(16 Blocks) to write the script. But y'know, as bad as Wenk is, he might actually be a better choice for this than Haggis. There's been a lot of Paul Haggis chatter in the Punch Drunk Critics' circle lately, about his terrible lack of nuance and subtlety.

My dad was a big fan of The Equalizer, and it was one of the few films I could watch with him and not get bored to tears. It centered on Robert McCall, an aging former secret agent turned investigator and vigilante who found clients by placing ads in the newspaper. Got a problem? Call the Equalizer. It ran from 1985-1989 and has remained a cult favorite ever since.