''The Equalizer'' is an American

vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...

action thriller The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

multimedia franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...

initially co-created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. It originated with a

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television series from 1985 to 1989 starring

Edward Woodward Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. He began his career on stage, appearing in productions in both the West End of London and on Broadway in New York City. He came to wider att ...

. The concept was thereafter rebooted twice with a trilogy of movies (''

The Equalizer ''The Equalizer'' is an American vigilante action thriller multimedia franchise initially co-created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. It originated with a CBS television series from 1985 to 1989 starring Edward Woodward. The concept ...

'' in 2014, ''

The Equalizer 2 ''The Equalizer 2'' (also promoted as ''The Equalizer II'' and ''EQ2'') is a 2018 American vigilante action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua. It is the sequel to the 2014 film '' The Equalizer'', which was based on the TV series of t ...

'' in 2018, and ''

The Equalizer 3 ''The Equalizer 3'' is a 2023 American vigilante action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua. It is a sequel to '' The Equalizer 2'' and the third and final installment of ''The Equalizer'' trilogy, based on the television series of the sam ...

'' in 2023) starring

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...

and a re-imagined 2021 television series, also on CBS, starring

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe ...

as Robyn McCall. Original co-creator Michael Sloan has written a series of novels featuring Robert McCall, with the first volume published in 2014. The franchise centers on a retired intelligence agent with a mysterious past who uses the skills from their former career to exact justice on behalf of innocent people who find themselves in dangerous circumstances while sometimes also dealing with people from their past in covert operations who want to pull them back in or settle old scores.

Television series

Original series (1985–1989)

The original show ran for four seasons of 22 episodes each. It was initially renewed for a fifth season (causing

Keith Szarabajka Keith Szarabajka (; ; born December 2, 1952) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Mickey Kostmayer on '' The Equalizer'', Daniel Holtz on ''Angel'', Gerard Stephens in '' The Dark Knight'' and Adam Engell in '' Argo''. He has ...

to turn down a role on ''

Midnight Caller ''Midnight Caller'' is an American drama television series created by Richard DiLello, which aired on NBC from October 25, 1988, to May 10, 1991. It was one of the first television series to address the dramatic possibilities of the then-growi ...

''). The show was later canceled, though, due to a row between CBS and Universal Studios over the renewal of ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

''. In ''The Story of The Equalizer'', created for the DVD box set, executive producer Coleman Luck also stated that Universal requested a script for a crossover episode with ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' despite the objections of the crew due to the vastly different tones of the two shows. Ultimately, the crossover did not happen, and the episode was rewritten as "Beyond Control". The show's theme music was created by composer/performer

Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician and composer. He is best known for his work as the drummer of the British rock band the Police from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before playing with the Polic ...

, his first effort at theme music composition in what would become a lengthy career in that field. The track is called "Busy Equalizing". An extended version appears on his album ''The Equalizer and Other Cliff Hangers''.

Reboot series (2021–2025)

In November 2019, CBS announced that a reboot was in development with Queen Latifah in the lead role as Robyn McCall.

Andrew Marlowe Andrew W. Marlowe is an American screenwriter, producer, and showrunner. He is best known as the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of ''Castle,'' a crime mystery dramedy that ran on ABC from 2009 to 2016 and starred Nathan Fillion in th ...

and Terri Miller were to serve as showrunners with Latifah herself as an executive producer. On January 27, 2020, CBS ordered a pilot for the new version. The series was among the 14 pilots ordered by CBS in February 2020 and was fast tracked to series the following March, as they were unable to film their pilots where

Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a division of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#Universal Studio Group, Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which, in turn, is ...

was shut down because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On May 8, 2020, CBS picked up the series and they added

Chris Noth Christopher David Noth ( ; born November 13, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Mike Logan on ''Law & Order'' (1990–1995), Big on ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), and Peter Florrick on ''The ...

as William Bishop, a quirky ex-CIA director, who is the opposite of Latifah. It premiered on February 7, 2021, after

Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...

. In March 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 10, 2021. In May 2022, the series was renewed for its third and fourth seasons. The third season premiered on October 2, 2022. The fourth season finale aired on May 19, 2024. On May 2, 2025, CBS announced the series has been canceled after five seasons.

Film series

''The Equalizer'' (2014)

In June 2010,

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor and film director. Russell Crowe filmography, His work on screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Russell Crowe, various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Gold ...

was reportedly looking to bring ''The Equalizer'' to the big screen and to be directed by

Paul Haggis Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners ''Million Dollar Baby'' (2004) and ...

, with Crowe attached to play Robert McCall. In December 2011,

was announced to star in the title role of the film version, to be financed by

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

and

Escape Artists Escape Artists Productions, LLC, commonly known as Escape Artists, is an American independently financed motion picture and television production company that has a first look non-exclusive deal at Sony Pictures Entertainment, headed by part ...

.Schaefer, Sandy (October 25, 2012)
"Denzel Washington’s ‘Equalizer’ Secures Start Date; Lining Up Directors"
Screen Rant. Director

Antoine Fuqua Antoine Fuqua (; born May 30, 1965) is an American film director known for his work in the action and thriller genres. He was originally known as a director of music videos, and made his film debut in 1998 with '' The Replacement Killers''. His ...

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 ''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers followed over a 24-hour period ...

''.

Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She began acting as a child, with early roles in the horror film ''The Amityville Horror (2005 film), The Amityville Horror'' (2005), the drama series ''Desperate Housewives' ...

was announced as a co-star on May 10, 2013;

Anna Kendrick Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Known for playing upbeat and endearing characters in comedies and musicals, List of awards and nominations received by Anna Kendrick, her accolades include nominations for an Aca ...

Kelly Macdonald Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish actress. Known for her performances on film and television, she has received various accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Macdona ...

, and

Nina Dobrev Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva (; born January 9, 1989), known professionally as Nina Dobrev ( ), is a Canadian actress. She is known for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce in The CW's supernatural drama series ''The Vampire Diaries'' (20 ...

were also considered. On May 31, 2013,

Melissa Leo Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Critics' Choice A ...

was cast in the film. Leo previously worked with Washington in the 2012 film ''

Flight Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...

'', and with Fuqua in ''

Olympus Has Fallen ''Olympus Has Fallen'' is a 2013 American political action thriller film directed and co-produced by Antoine Fuqua from a screenplay written by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, and is the first installment in the ''Has Fallen'' fil ...

'' (2013). Coincidentally, Leo actually guest-starred in a season-one episode of the original ''Equalizer'' television series titled "The Defector", in which she portrayed the daughter of a former Soviet agent, who enlists McCall's help to defect to the United States. Marton Csokas was cast to play the villain on May 17. ''The Equalizer'' grossed $101.5 million in North America and $90.8 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $192.3 million, against a net production budget of $55 million.

''The Equalizer 2'' (2018)

On February 24, 2014, seven months before the release of ''

'',

and

announced they were planning a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, with

Richard Wenk Richard Wenk (born May 6, 1956) is an American film screenwriter and director best known for his work on ''The Equalizer'' film series (2014–2023). Early life Wenk was born in 1956 in Metuchen, New Jersey. He graduated from Metuchen High Sc ...

penning the script again. In early October 2014, Antoine Fuqua stated that sequel to the film would be made only if audiences and Denzel Washington wanted it. He said he was an interesting character, and that the sequel could have more of an international flavor. On April 22, 2015, Sony officially announced a sequel, with Washington returning to his role as vigilante Robert McCall. Fuqua's returning was not yet confirmed. In September 2016, producer

Todd Black Todd Black (born February 9, 1960) is an American film producer best known for producing '' The Pursuit of Happyness'' (2006), '' The Taking of Pelham 123'' (2009), '' The Equalizer'' (2014), '' Southpaw'' (2015), '' The Magnificent Seven'' (2016) ...

revealed that the script of the film was complete, and that Fuqua would return to direct, with shooting set to begin in September 2017. ''The Equalizer 2'' grossed $102.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $88.3 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $190.4 million, against a production budget of $62 million.

''The Equalizer 3'' (2023)

A third film with Washington and director Antoine Fuqua returning, was filmed in October 2022, on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The film was released on September 1, 2023.

Literature

Novels

A series of novels featuring Robert McCall has been written by the original co-creator Michael Sloan. The first is simply entitled ''The Equalizer'' published in 2014, followed by ''Killed in Action: An Equalizer Novel'', which was released in 2018. The novels are a modern reimagining of the original series and focus on McCall leaving the Company and eventually becoming a private investigator in New York. It also features a number of original recurring characters from the television series, such as Mickey Kostmayer, Control, and Scott McCall. A third novel, ''Equalizer: Requiem'' was released in 2020.

List of novels

* ''The Equalizer'' (2014) – by Michael Sloan * ''Killed in Action: An Equalizer Novel'' (2018) – by Michael Sloan * ''Equalizer: Requiem'' (2020) – by Michael Sloan * ''Knight Errant – An Equalizer Novel'' (2023) – by Michael Sloan

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Equalizer, The 1985 American television series debuts 1989 American television series endings 1980s American crime drama television series Edgar Award–winning works American spy television series American English-language television shows American detective television series CBS original programming Sony Pictures films Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in New York City Television shows adapted into films Television shows filmed in New York (state) American action adventure television series American spy thriller television series Vigilante television series Columbia Pictures franchises Sony Pictures franchises NBCUniversal Television Group franchises