Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington have gotten early Oscar buzz for their performances in Gladiator II.

Gladiator II screenwriter David Scarpa says he found plenty of creative opportunities in picking up the story for the sequel so many years after the original – in which most of the lead characters have passed. 

“We started by placing our main character, Lucius [Paul Mescal], in a situation that is diametrically opposed to Maximus’ [Russell Crowe] story,” says Scarpa. “Maximus started as a leader in the Roman military who is facing off with an army of barbarians. Lucius is a barbarian defending his home from the invading Romans. Maximus was loyal to the emperor. Lucius hates Rome and everything to do with it. And yet both end up forced to kill or be killed for the amusement of the mob.”

Watch Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn talk about Gladiator II in this roundtable interview: https://youtu.be/504X_zXULVs?si=FzJhx_j4hhgyGrQU

“Great ideas and human drama take time to craft. Hopefully the results speak for themselves.” Filmmakers talk about making the long-awaited sequel “Gladiator II,” in cinemas December 4

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal have a bloody battle in Gladiator II.

Gladiator II has been under discussion since the first film’s initial success when it was released in 2000, according to director Ridley Scott. “The popularity of Gladiator just kept growing,” he explains. “The film stayed in the public’s mind. I knew we should consider a sequel, but it took years to figure out what the story was going to be.”

Producer Michael Pruss, who has been collaborating with Scott for more than a decade, adds: “The world of the Roman Empire and the unforgettable characters of Gladiator were so brilliantly crafted. Recreating that on an even grander scale [for the sequel] was a necessity. We wanted that same powerful motivation for revenge but something that was also fresh and modern and unique. It took longer than anybody anticipated, but great ideas and human drama take time to craft. Hopefully the results here speak for themselves.”

“Everywhere you turn, you feel like you’re in that world… I love that,” says Denzel Washington about stepping into the Colosseum in “Gladiator II,” in cinemas December 4

Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius in Gladiator II, says that working on the sequel is one of the standout moments in his life.

Time to return to the Colosseum. Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington talk about their excitement about being part of Gladiator II, the highly anticipated sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, in newly released featurettes.  

Strength and honor. Check out the new posters for “Gladiator II,” in cinemas December 4

Prepare for the roar of the crowd. Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington, opens only in cinemas December 4. 

Gladiator II is the epic sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. 

Check out the new posters for the film below: 

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people

Check out the character posters, featuring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and more, for “Gladiator II,” only in cinemas November 20

Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger star in director Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, only in cinemas November 20.

Paul Mescal as Lucius in #GladiatorII

Gladiator II opens in PH cinemas Nov 20. Watch the trailer, out now

From director Ridley Scott, watch the new official trailer for Gladiator II, starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger – only in cinemas November 20.

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/aE3ktl1CNNY

#GladiatorII

Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”

Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua team up again in “The Equalizer 3”

Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua team up for the fifth time in “The Equalizer 3,” which ties Fuqua with the late Tony Scott as Washington’s most frequent director collaborator. 

Washington says there are many reasons why he looks forward to reteaming with Fuqua: “His spiritual maturity, his collaboration, his humility, his eye,” says the actor. “There was never a question about his talent, his experience. 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.”

Fuqua returns the compliment: “Denzel constantly surprises me because the environment changes. He’s like an athlete,” says Fuqua of Washington. “If Michael Jordan is playing against the Celtics, it’s one game. If he’s playing against the Lakers, it’s another game. Each situation Denzel is in, he’s so much in the moment of the character, that there’s times I’m discovering constantly, ‘What’s he going to do?’”

Dakota Fanning reuniting with Denzel Washington in “The Equalizer 3" was a special thing to see, says director Antoine Fuqua

Since co-starring as a child actress with Denzel Washington in the 2004 film Man on Fire, Dakota Fanning has kept in touch with the veteran actor. 

“I’ve known Denzel for a big part of my life,” says Fanning. “One of his daughters is one of my closest friends, so I’ve always been in the loop on what he’s up to.”

Fanning is reuniting with Washington in The Equalizer 3, where she plays a CIA analyst that Washington’s Robert McCall reaches out to for help as he begins his fight against the mafia. 

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/inN061MtPOg

Denzel Washington is back as Robert McCall, and in The Equalizer 3 McCall’s story reaches a conclusion.

In the third and final film of the trilogy, it becomes clear that while working on behalf of the people who need him has provided Robert McCall with some solace, it still means that he is a man whose life is defined by violence – and that cannot last. “He’s dealing with his demons,” says Washington, who reprises one of his signature roles. “It’s very different than the first two films; I think it’s much more personal. This movie is about his salvation and letting go of his past.”

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/inN061MtPOg

“He's going through an internal battle,” says Antoine Fuqua, who returns to direct the third film in the trilogy and fifth overall with Washington. “He’s helping those who can't help themselves, handing out justice his way to evil people. But he’s questioning himself. Has he gone too far? Is he enjoying it too much? Is he still doing it for the right reasons?”

Producers Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal say that the reason that The Equalizer franchise has resonated so strongly with audiences is that it echoes with who Washington is in real life – minus the violence. “Robert McCall is able to take care of good people who can’t take care of themselves,” they say. “Denzel, as a human being, really believes in mission-oriented goals... I think it’s the same thing here with Robert McCall – he uses his powers to serve good. He, as both Denzel and as Robert McCall, are going to make sure that the good people are protected. The fun of it is tracking them down – he gives them all an opportunity to stop what they’re doing, and they don’t, and so he has to become the Equalizer.”

Denzel Washington takes on the Mafia in the gripping trailer for "The Equalizer 3"

Vengeance meets his equal.⌚️ Denzel Washington is back as Robert McCall in the final chapter of The Equalizer.

Watch the action-thriller’s official trailer below and watch The Equalizer 3 in cinemas across the Philippines this August.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/inN061MtPOg

Justice knows no borders. Denzel Washington is back as Robert McCall in the final chapter in #TheEqualizer3, exclusively in cinemas August 2023.

About The Equalizer 3

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.

Denzel Washington's "The Equalizer 3" Starts Filming in Italy

(L to R) Gaia Scodelario, Denzel Washington,
 Dakota Fanning

Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua are back for “The Equalizer 3,” joined by Dakota Fanning and Gaia Scodellaro. Now in production on the Amalfi Coast, Italy.

Columbia Pictures and Escape Artists has commenced filming on The Equalizer 3 - the third Robert McCall action thriller film, written by Richard Wenk, based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim.

The Equalizer 3 is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.  Connect with the hashtag #TheEqualizer3

"Moonlight" Actor Ashton Sanders Mentored by Denzel in "The Equalizer 2"

The New Yorker said of his performance in the 2016 Oscar Best Picture Moonlight, “There is no accounting for talent like this.”

Now, young actor Ashton Sanders stars opposite Denzel Washington in Columbia Pictures’ nail-biting action-thriller The Equalizer 2 (in Philippine cinemas August 29).

In the film, vigilante Robert McCall forges a mentorship with a teenager named Miles, who lives with his single mother in the same apartment complex as McCall’s.

Fuqua Re-Teams with Washington for "The Equalizer 2"

Director Antoine Fuqua returns to re-team with Denzel Washington for a fourth time in The Equalizer 2, following their successful collaborations on Training Day, The Magnificent Seven, and the first Equalizer film.  

“I think people enjoy the idea, the myth, that a guy like Robert McCall exists.  McCall is a kind of dark angel – the angel we all wish would come down and serve justice to people who deserve it,” says Fuqua.

There Will Be Consequences in New Trailer of "The Equalizer 2"

Columbia Pictures has just released the brand new trailer of Denzel Washington’s revenge action-thriller The Equalizer 2.

Check out the trailer below and watch The Equalizer 2 in Philippine cinemas soon.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/432ZMmVJv-U 

Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?  

Denzel Serves Unflinching Justice in "The Equalizer 2" Trailer

Sometimes justice isn’t enough. Watch Denzel Washington in the new trailer for Columbia Pictures' new action-thriller The Equalizer 2, in Philippine cinemas this September.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/fWAmIYxj2RY.

Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. In The Equalizer 2, Robert McCall (Washington) serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk, based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim.

The Equalizer 2 also stars Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, with Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo.

The Equalizer 2 is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Denzel Washington Protects the Innocent in "The Magnificent Seven"

Two-time Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington takes the lead as Sam Chisolm in Columbia Pictures' new action adventure “The Magnificent Seven” (in cinemas Sept. 21).

(Watch the Sam Chisolm vignette at https://youtu.be/jlXqI5A18J8.)

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures’ “The Magnificent Seven.” With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople, led by Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

Misfits Band Together to Become "The Magnificent Seven"‏

“When MGM asked me about making a Western, I got excited about the possibility of it, because I grew up with Westerns,” says Antoine Fuqua, who re-teams with Denzel Washington in the story of seven outlaws, gunslingers, gamblers and bounty hunters who band together to save a town under the thumb of corruption in “The Magnificent Seven.”

(Watch “The Magnificent Seven” TV Spot “Together” at http://youtu.be/pjt596XVAKA.)

“So I asked myself, ‘Why make a Western now? Why would it be important?’ And the answer was, the idea of tyranny, happening in our world today – that’s what made it timely. You’d need a special group of people to come together to fight tyranny.”

Denzel, Pratt Invites Fans to Watch "The Magnificent Seven" New Trailer‏

Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt went out of their way to engage fans as they introduce the new international trailer of Columbia Pictures' upcoming action-adventure “The Magnificent Seven” which may be viewed at https://youtu.be/tAnK6uEEyDE.

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ and Columbia Pictures’ “The Magnificent Seven.”

With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

Opening across the Philippines on September 21, “The Magnificent Seven” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Use the hashtag #Mag7

Action-Thriller "THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN" Launches First Trailer

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ and Columbia Pictures’ “The Magnificent Seven” starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke. Watch the film's first trailer that has just been launched here at https://youtu.be/STToyk76gVA.

With the sleepy town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

REEL DEAL: Gritty, Realistic Action Pay Off In “THE EQUALIZER”

To realize the action of Columbia Pictures’ new action-thriller “The Equalizer,” the conversations began between director Antoine Fuqua, Denzel Washington, and Keith Woulard, one of the film’s stunt coordinators.  “There’s a tendency in shooting action to shake the camera and move things around – the audience can’t tell what’s happening,” says Fuqua.  That’s just what they didn’t want to do.  “My goal was to take acting and make it action,” says Fuqua. 

Fuqua’s inspiration for the way he would shoot the action scenes with McCall, Denzel’s character, was inspired by his interaction with real-life boxers.  “I happen to have a very good friend who’s a great boxer – Sugar Ray Leonard,” he notes.  “He’ll tell stories, and you’ll realize how smart a boxer can be.  Sometimes they’ll touch you – hey, how you doin’ today? – and that’s their way of checking you out, seeing if you’re in shape, if they think you’re a threat.  Or they’re watching you a certain way, to see how you move, how your body language is, what your strengths and weaknesses are.  They can pick you apart.  McCall is trained that way, too – he notices these things and uses them to his advantage.  We had to show that.”