'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Director in Talks to Helm 'The Equalizer'

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Rupert Wyatt

The search for a director for The Equalizer, Sony’s adaptation of the 1980s TV series that will star Denzel Washington, has narrowed its scope to Rupert Wyatt.

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The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Wyatt, the music video and commercials helmer who directed the 2011 hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is in early discussions to direct the action thriller.

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Setting a director on Equalizer hasn’t been easy. After an initial search, Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) was set to be the man behind the camera but split when he didn’t see eye to eye with Washington. In the last few weeks names such as Pete Berg were on the short list.

Washington is playing Robert McCall, the retired intelligence officer who helps the powerless. In the movie version, he is living a quiet life while working at a Home Depot, when one of his acts of kindness gets him embroiled with the Russian mob.