For us, it’s been 19 years (yes, 2004 was THAT long ago) since we last saw Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning together on-screen in Man On Fire. But in reality, their supposed ‘separation’ couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I’ve known Denzel for a big part of my life,” Fanning revealed, saying they kept in touch since working together on the late Tony Scott-directed thriller. “One of his daughters is one of my closest friends, so I’ve always been in the loop on what he’s up to.”
The IT girl
“She’s ambitious and driven and wants to take this opportunity to not only advance her own professional position but also to help people,” Fanning on her character, Emma.
In The Equalizer 3, Fanning is a newbie who’s just getting started with her career at the agency, before suddenly receiving a call from the injured titular character who needed her help. “She has great intuition and the instincts to pick up on little details, so she senses a familiarity with (Robert) McCall but can’t put a finger on it,” Fanning explained, adding that “as the mission becomes bigger and she realises how much is at stake, her mind is going a mile a minute to put all the pieces together, with McCall’s help.”
“McCall moves through the world with a lot of mystery, and Emma is trying to get down to the bottom of who he is, why he’s there, how he has her number, and how they’re connected.”
Even the man of the hour himself had nothing but praise to show for his fellow co-star. “She knew how to bring it,” Washington recalled (pun intended). “Now, she’s really a grown woman, and obviously a great talent. The sky’s the limit for her.”
We won’t be missing any of their stories in the movie, as we’ll be getting glimpses of the relationship between both characters through cryptic phone calls and enigmatic messages “We talked a lot about the cat and mouse game between Emma and McCall, and how they sort of challenge one another,” said Fanning.
Just like old friends
It’s still true they didn’t work together for almost two decades, but once they’re on set filming, the duo instinctively fell into the natural rhythms of their long relationship. “Denzel is very protective of Dakota,” producer Todd Black said. “On set, you could see them laughing and talking and whispering to each other. To watch them act together was magical because both have a very naturalistic style of acting. She’s already so good to begin with, and to watch her play off of this genius actor just raises everybody’s game.
“All of (Washington and Fanning’s) scenes together are so honest – entertaining and honest,” Black on their rapport.
The Equalizer 3 director, Antoine Fuqua, was equally excited to be the one responsible for reuniting the two, saying, “Putting Dakota and Denzel together again was a special thing to see. Dakota has been doing this since she was five years old, and she’s such a pro – she’s on the money every time. I’d give her one note, she’d come in, and – boom. She’s like a samurai.”
As for Washington, reteaming with Fuqua for the fourth time is an easy decision to make. “His spiritual maturity, his collaboration, his humility, his eye – there was never a question about his talent, his experience,” Washington explains. “We’re brothers – I trust him completely, he trusts me, and I’m excited about our future together. The deeper he goes, the higher he’ll go, and I’m not talking about movies.”
Watch the man himself in the final Equalizer!
For the uninitiated, The Equalizer 3 sees Washington reprising his role as retired CIA operative, Robert McCall, to dole out his signature vigilante justice for an oppressed small town in South Italy, that’s being intimidated by the local mafia. This time, he is joined by Fanning, who plays a brilliant computer hacker, as they team up to take down the powerful crime syndicate.
It’s so nice seeing Denzel and Dakota working together again to entertain us, and we’re more than happy to oblige them. Plus, it helps that the latest Equalizer installment has been garnering some pretty good reviews, with a 75% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes – the highest in the trilogy! Besides, who wouldn’t have fun watching Denzel freaking Washington dolling out justice on bad dudes?
The Equalizer 3 is now showing in Malaysian cinemas. Get your tickets here for an action-filled good time and a nineteen-year reunion!
