BY DANA JACKSON
Q:Is the new “Equalizer” movie related in any way to the past and present TV series “The Equalizer”? Will Denzel Washington ever appear on the series? -- K.S.
A: The original version of “The Equalizer,” a TV series starring Edward Woodward that ran from 1985-1989, is about a retired intelligence agent turned private detective who takes the law into his own hands. In 2021, CBS came up with a reboot featuring Queen Latifah as the headliner. Both characters have the last name McCall.
In 2014, the big-screen version of “The Equalizer” starring Denzel Washington premiered. He, too, plays a McCall, but reportedly none of these characters with the same surname are related. “The Equalizer 3,” starring Washington and Dakota Fanning, is currently in theaters. Andrew Marlowe, creator of CBS’ current series “The Equalizer,” says that there are no plans for these two franchises to merge, even for a special episode. Marlowe told Distractify.com, “For us, it really is about building this show and identity around Robyn McCall and being very specific to a show where Queen is really embodying the heart of it.”
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Q:Will there be another season of “The Crown” anytime soon? I wonder if they plan to continue it through to the current day when Charles becomes king? -- L.L.
A: Peter Morgan, creator of the critically acclaimed Netflix series “The Crown,” previously stated that the show would end after five sea-sons. However, NetflixUK recently released a tweet confirming that the series will be back for one final season this fall,*
expected to end at the present day when Prince Charles becomes king. We do know that the storyline will make it to at least 2005, when Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed. It’s also been confirmed that it will touch on the tragic death of Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki), but there won’t be a scene featuring the actual impact of the crash that killed her. A Netflix source confirmed to IndieWire that the scenes surrounding the princess’ death were filmed with “enormous sensitivity” and have been “delicately and thoughtfully” filmed. According to Parade, Morgan does not plan to delve into the story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exodus from the royal family or the subsequent fallout from Harry’s memoir. He emphasized that featuring the two would “seem almost redundant since the couple are constantly in the press.”
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(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc. “Fast X” (PG-13) -- The 10th main installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise hits streaming on Sept. 15 after bringing home $719 million from the box office this summer. Jason Momoa makes his grand entrance into the franchise by playing Dante, son of Hernan Reyes (aka the central villain in the 2011 film “Fast Five”). Momoa’s performance has been praised by critics as one of the strongest points of the film, along with the film’s extravagant action sequences, of course. With the film ending on a cliffhanger (and two more films already slated for 2025 and on), the culmination of this longtime franchise is nowhere in sight. (Peacock)
“The Other Black Girl” (TV14) -- Based on the 2021 novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, this new series cleverly takes on the challenging topic of racism in the workplace through a comedy-thriller lens. Being the only Black woman who works at Wagner Books, editorial assistant Nella becomes delighted when she finds out another Black woman, Hazel, was hired by her company. The two quickly build a friendship, until Nella starts receiving haunting messages to leave the company. As the workplace gains an increasingly sinister feel, Nella starts to suspect Hazel is attempting to sabotage her. Sinclair Daniel and Ashleigh Murray (“Riverdale”) lead the series, with supporting roles played by Bellamy Young (“Scandal”) and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Garcelle Beauvais. The 10-episode series drops Sept. 13. (Hulu) “Inside” (R) -- Basically a one-man show, Willem Dafoe leads this psychological thriller where he plays an art thief named Nemo. Nemo disguises himself as a handyman to steal three art pieces by Egon Schiele from an art collector’s New York penthouse, but as he attempts to leave, he sets off the apartment’s alarm system and accidentally locks himself inside. Weeks pass with no food or water as Nemo repeatedly tries to escape from the apartment, resorting to an array of crazed methods to get out before his body and mind give up on him. More than anything, this film serves as a reminder of Dafoe’s incredible acting prowess; he’s one of the only actors captivating enough to take over the screen by himself for 105 minutes. Premieres
Sept. 12. (Amazon Prime Video)
(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.