Sony’s The Equalizer 3 surprised everyone by topping the global box office with an outstanding showing during its debut weekend. Not only did the action movie come in first place domestically, but it also brought in a record-breaking amount from other countries, giving it a $60 million global opening. The two previous Equalizer films had made $382 million worldwide in total. At the domestic box office, The Equalizer 3 made $13 million on Friday, $11 million on Saturday, and an expected $10 million on Sunday, for a three-day total of about $34 million.
The film will have the second-best Labour Day opening ever, after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with a projected $42 million in revenue for the extended four-day Labour Day weekend. At current currency rates, The Equaliser 3 added a tiny bit more than $26 million internationally this weekend, which is 29% higher than the original in comparable regions and 19% higher than the prior iteration.
Each film of the series has been directed by Antoine Fuqua and features Denzel Washington in the title role of Robert McCall, a ruthless ex-Marine. The first movie was released in 2014, about ten years ago, and it earned $101 million domestically and $192 million internationally throughout its run in theatres. Four years later, The Equaliser 2 was introduced, and it made approximately comparable profits of $102 million domestically and $190 million globally.
Sony would be hoping that the third (and apparently final) movie will become the first entry in the series to gross over $200 million worldwide. This past weekend, Europe brought in $15.6 million, with the U.K. coming in first ($3.5 million over five days), then France ($2.8 million), Germany ($2.4 million), and Spain ($1.7 million). The movie made a total of $5.7 million in the Asia Pacific area, with Australia leading the way with $2.3 million and Indonesia coming in second with $1.1 million. Saudi Arabia made a $1.6 million debut in the Middle East.
Washington is one of the last major movie stars who can draw crowds to theatres solely on the basis of his goodwill, as seen by the franchise’s ongoing success. The 2001 crime thriller Training Day, for which he received the Academy Award for Best Actor, is probably the most well-known project he worked on with Fuqua. Additionally, he worked with co-star Dakota Fanning in the late, great Tony Scott-directed 2004 break movie Man on Fire.
The franchise-best reviews that The Equalizer 3 has received thus far bode well for its future. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a “fresh” 76% rating, but its audience rating is much higher at 93%. Additionally, The Equaliser 3 received a high A CinemaScore from first-day viewers. David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone all have supporting parts in the film.
Currently, The Equalizer 3 is on display at cinemas. Don’t miss Collider’s interview with director Antoine Fuqua and check back for more box office news.