Police Seize 120 g of Cocaine from The Equalizer 3 Crew Members

Italian police raided the set of The Equalizer 3 and seized 120 grams of cocaine from the crew members. 

Antoine Fuqua returns to direct the third installment of the Equalizer series along with Denzel Washington. Washington will play the role of a crime fighter alongside Dakota Fanning, whose role is currently unknown.

Italy’s Eagle and Sony Pictures Television are heading the production, and Garbo Produzioni is responsible for the on-set services.

What We Know About the Incident

According to Variety, the Italian newspaper Il Giornale reported that the Italian police conducted an official raid at a resort in Maiori, where the crew members were housed. 

It was triggered when officials found small bags of cocaine on the body of the head of catering services of the film, when he suffered a heart attack. 

Two crew members were immediately placed under house arrest for alleged drug dealing accusations. The driving license of one member was also revoked after the officials found small amounts of cocaine with him. 

Garbo Produzioni has been quiet about this incident till now. 

What is the franchise about?

The Equalizer is a 2014 action spy film. It follows the life of a spy named Robert McCall after he fakes his own death to live a quieter life. 

Things take a turn when he discovers a teenage girl who is being trafficked by the Russians and is forced to return to his old ways. 

A sequel, The Equalizer 2, premiered in 2018, and the third installment is currently in development. 

How This Fiasco Can Have a Ripple Effect in The Industry

The consequences of The Equalizer 3 fiasco can affect the entire industry at large. The Italian government provides lucrative incentives for those wishing to produce movies in Italy. These opportunities make Italy a popular destination for foreign filmmakers. They also employ local production houses, like Garbo Produzioni. 

The repercussions of this incident may force the government to reassess its policies on this subject. It can result in the loss of lucrative incentives for filmmakers.

Sony Pictures is yet to issue an official statement regarding the impact of this incident on the film’s production.

The Equalizer 3 is going strong right now, with production well into its fourth week. Viewers are looking forward to watching Washington and Fanning hit it off in the third installment of the series. 

The film is scheduled to hit theaters in September 2023. 

About The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3 is an American vigilante action film directed by Antoine Fuqua. It is the sequel to the 2018 film The Equalizer 2, which was based on the TV series of the same name. The film stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.

It follows retired U.S. Marine and former DIA officer Robert McCall. The film is the fifth collaboration between Washington and Fuqua, following Training Day (2001), The Equalizer (2014), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and The Equalizer 2 (2018).

The film released on September 1, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing.