The Big Picture
- Sony’s The Equalizer 3 continues to perform well at the global box office, aiming to set a new record for the action franchise’s conclusion.
- The film is approaching the $150 million mark globally, but it remains uncertain if it can match the lifetime earnings of the previous two films.
- While the third film has the potential to become the franchise’s highest-grossing domestic entry, its global figures lag behind. The UK, Australia, and Spain are the biggest markets for the movie.
Sony’s The Equalizer 3 had another strong weekend at the global box office, as it continues its quest to conclude the action franchise on a record high. But the margins are so minuscule with this series that even a million here or there could make it either the highest or the lowest-grossing entry of the trilogy. In its fourth weekend of release, The Equalizer 3 added $4.7 million domestically and another $5.4 million from over 50 overseas markets.
The film will pass the $80 million mark at the domestic box office by Sunday and has grossed an estimated $67 million from foreign territories so far, for a cumulative global total of $148 million. The Equalizer 3 should pass the $150 million mark in the next few days, but whether it is able to match the near-identical lifetime hauls of the first and second films is still unclear. Released in 2014, The Equalizer grossed $101 million domestically and $192 million worldwide. The Equalizer 2, which debuted in 2018, grossed $102 million domestically and $191 million worldwide.
This means that the third film is only around $20 million shy of becoming the biggest domestic entry of the franchise, but in terms of global figures, the gap is significantly larger. The biggest markets for the movie are the U.K. ($7.7 million), Australia ($4.8 million), Spain ($4 million), The Netherlands ($2.1 million) and Italy ($1.8 million). The Equalizer 3 actually had a better opening weekend than the first film, as it exceeded expectations over the Labor Day period last month. But it had a hefty second-weekend drop, although it has managed to marginally regain its balance over the last couple of weekends.
Washington The Action Hero is Going Out with a Bang
Each film in the franchise has been directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Denzel Washington as the retired U.S. Marine-turned-vigilante Robert McCall. Fuqua has suggested that the third film could be the final installment of the series, which successfully reintroduced Washington as an older action star, similar to what the Taken franchise did for Liam Neeson in the late 2000s. While interest in the Taken series fizzled out over the years, Washington was able to open this movie without even promoting it, thanks mainly to his unimpeachable star power.
The Equalizer 3 also earned the best reviews of the series, at least according to aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Collider’s Nate Richard called it a “gleefully violent final installment,” and praised Washington for being “intimidating, fierce, and dangerous, but also extremely charismatic and lovable” in the role. The movie reunites Washington with his Man on Fire co-star Dakota Fanning and also stars David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone in supporting roles. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
