Denzel Washington confirmed for 'The Equalizer'

You have to give it up to Denzel Washington. For all the bellyaching I and others have done about him not really stretching himself as an actor anymore, the fact remains he's settled into a comfortable zone of highly successful, mature action flicks that keep him in the spotlight. And who knows? Maybe he'll shut guys like me up in November when Robert Zemeckis' Flight hits theaters, as it looks like the kind of film we haven't seen from Washington in years.

Back in December we learned that Sony was targeting Washington for The Equalizer, based on the 1980s TV series about an ex-agent(originally played by Edward Woodward) looking to atone for past sins by offering his protective and security services free of charge. Deadline reports that not only is the film now green lit, but that an April 2013 production date is set. Now the search for a director begins, and the names they're looking at show their commitment to making this more than just another mediocre remake of a cult TV show. Nicolas Winding Refn(Drive), Gavin O'Connor(Warrior), Gareth Evans(The Raid), and Pierre Morel(Taken) are all on the wishlist. All four would bring something totally different to the table, so whoever they choose is going to tell us a lot about the direction Sony is planning.

Washington is set to star with Mark Wahlberg in the action flick, 2 Guns, and there's also a comedy remake of Uptown Saturday Night alongside Will Smith. I'm really looking forward to that latter one, so let's hope this doesn't interfere with it.