*Sony Pictures has moved up the release date of Denzel Washington’s “The Equalizer 2,” from August 3 to the new date of July 20.
It’s the fourth release date change for the vigilante thriller, which was originally scheduled for a Sept. 29, 2017 opening, and then Sept. 14, 2018 before moving to Aug. 3.
The sequel to the 2014 film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, also stars Ashton Sanders, Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman.
In other film news, Morgan Freeman and Forest Whitaker are in talks to join John Travolta in the action-thriller “The Poison Rose.”
The film is described as being in the style of detective dramas like “Chinatown,” “L.A. Confidential,” and “The Long Goodbye.” Travolta will play a down-on-his-luck private eye who enjoys his share of drinking, smoking, and gambling along with having a soft spot for a lady in distress. The case starts out appearing fairly routine, and slowly reveals itself to be a complex interwoven web of crimes, suspects, and dead bodies.
Freeman will portray “Doc,” the godfather crime boss of Galveston, Texas. Whitaker will play the shady owner of the town’s sanitarium for the rich and disillusioned.
George Gallo will direct from a script he wrote with Richard Salvatore, based on Salvatore’s novel of the same name.
John Travolta’s daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, will play the daughter of her father’s character, Carson Philips. The Travoltas last appeared together in the comedy feature “Old Dogs.”
