Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer trilogy is now streaming on HBO Max, bringing all three films—topped by The Equalizer 3—to the platform right as Washington weighs future sequels. The franchise has grossed more than $570 million worldwide and reunites Washing
A porch swing might be where Denzel Washington thinks. But in The Equalizer, it’s where justice is decided.
The three-film Equalizer trilogy is now streaming on HBO Max, giving viewers a full run at Washington’s anti-hero comeback arc—starting with its 2014 debut and ending with The Equalizer 3, released in 2023.
Washington’s franchise didn’t just find an audience; it kept its footing through all three installments. The Equalizer movies have grossed nearly identical amounts at the box office. combining for a global haul of more than $570 million. The latest chapter, The Equalizer 3, made $191 million worldwide against a reported $70 million budget. The first movie grossed $192 million worldwide against a reported $55 million budget.
The performance came with a recognizable voice behind the camera. Antoine Fuqua helmed the series, and Washington has already confirmed he’s working on not one but two new sequels to his hit trilogy of action movies. But the road ahead isn’t guaranteed to be smooth.
Fuqua’s schedule is getting crowded. He recently delivered the biggest hit of his career with Michael. the Michael Jackson biopic that’s on track to hit the $1 billion mark at the global box office. And Lionsgate has already confirmed that a long-rumored sequel is being fast-tracked—an update that suggests Fuqua may be tied up for the next couple of years. potentially affecting when Washington’s next Equalizer installments could begin shooting.
There’s also the simple reality of time. Washington is now 71. If he starts filming the next couple of installments once Fuqua wraps the Michael sequel, he’ll be closer to 75.
The Equalizer series started in 2014 and delivered its third installment in 2023. Its momentum, though, didn’t come out of nowhere. The franchise was green-lit not long after the success of Taken. which turned Liam Neeson into an action star—sparking a wave of older male actors moving into the genre.
As for how audiences have met the films, The Equalizer has a 61% score on the Rotten Tomatoes aggregator website. The consensus reads: “The Equalizer is more stylishly violent than meaningful, but with Antoine Fuqua behind the cameras and Denzel Washington dispensing justice, it delivers.”
All three movies—The Equalizer, The Equalizer 2, and The Equalizer 3—are streaming on HBO Max now, making it the clearest entry point yet for anyone who wants to catch up before Washington’s next move is fully set.
Denzel Washington The Equalizer The Equalizer 3 HBO Max Antoine Fuqua Lionsgate Michael Jackson biopic Michael Taken