The third part of the vigilante action film, The Equalizer is set to release in the latter part of 2023, but the Denzel Washington franchise’s future has started to look quite bleak with the series of events that have recently unfurled at the set of the upcoming film.
One caterer who was working for the film was found dead while two other members of the film’s crew were arrested for the possession of cocaine, the events took place at Italy’s famous Amalfi Coast, one of the central shooting sites for The Equalizer 3. And with the production having started just last month, this certainly doesn’t look good for the fate of the franchise.
A scandalous drug bust and death took place at the set of The Equalizer 3
Merely a month has gone by that the production of the third installment of Denzel Washington’s popular action/thriller film started, and the franchise seems to be facing some rather serious predicaments already.
Just this Tuesday, the Italian police force raided a hotel on the Amalfi Coast where The Equalizer 3‘s catering crew had lodged and arrested two Roman caterers following the unexpected yet vicious death of the head caterer, the head caterer reportedly known as MB. The 55-year-old died due to a sudden heart attack that struck him as he was leaving an All Saints’ Day event in the evening. And although he was rushed to the hospital after the medical staff arrived at the scene, sadly enough, MB didn’t make it through.
After the passing away of MB, the police came across cocaine in the head caterer’s pockets, which then acted as a catalyst for the officials to search his fellow members and staff. And the search of the rooms at the hotel concluded with the police reportedly seizing about 120 grams of cocaine from two other caterers and a relatively lesser amount of the drug from yet another member.
Will the production of The Equalizer 3 stop?
Although the chain of events certainly doesn’t paint the nicest picture for the third part of Washington’s film, neither the death of the caterer nor the reported illegal activity happened at the film’s actual set, which is why those incidents are currently being looked at as a separate case.
Not only that but the catering workers are said to be functioning under an independent contractor, which further makes things less difficult for the movie’s franchise. And as per Fox News Digital, sources have also confirmed that the said raid was “regarding a catering vendor, not the movie or crew.”
So, as of right now, the odds seem to be working out for the American filmmaker just enough for him to continue the production. And if the production isn’t brought to a forced halt, then the movie might even get released at the currently promised date.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 3 is set to premiere on September 1, 2023.
See also: Why The World Needs More Pure Hearted Actors Like Denzel Washington
Source: Far Out
