The Equalizer is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk.[1][5] It is based on the 1980s TV series of the same title and the first of three films starring Denzel Washington in the lead role. The cast includes Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo. Washington plays Robert McCall, an ex-Marine and former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who reluctantly returns to action in order to protect a teenage trafficking victim from members of the Russian mafia. Principal photography took place in Massachusetts from May to September 2013. The world premiere for The Equalizer was held at 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014, and it was released in theaters worldwide on September 26, 2014. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $192.3 million worldwide.[6] The sequels titled The Equalizer 2 was released on July 20, 2018, and The Equalizer 3 was released on September 1, 2023.