‘The Equalizer 3’ Tops the US Box Office on Opening Weekend

Denzel Washington returned to the big screen with a bang as “The Equalizer 3,” the third instalment of the brooding assassin Robert McCall series, dominated the US box office, debuting at the top and earning a whopping $34.5 million over the weekend.

The film’s global success was equally impressive, bringing in $60.6 million worldwide, according to Comscore. Audiences have shown their approval, giving the movie a remarkable 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Variety reported that “The Equalizer 3” achieved the second-highest Labor Day weekend opening in history, trailing only Marvel’s 2021 hit “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” which pulled in a staggering $75 million during its first three days.

CNN’s Brian Lowry noted that the film lives up to its R rating, delivering intense action from the outset. He praised “The Equalizer 3,” suggesting it might be the best instalment in Denzel Washington’s film series. Rather than sticking closely to its TV origins, the movie embraces an old Western formula, combining action with a touch of sentimentality. The reunion of Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, almost two decades after their collaboration in “Man on Fire,” adds an extra layer of emotional depth to the film.

Taking the second spot at the domestic box office this weekend was “Barbie,” the fantasy-comedy that has been breaking box-office records for the past six weeks and has become the highest-grossing film of 2023, with a global total surpassing $1.36 billion.

“Barbie” made a grand entrance in its opening weekend starting on July 21, earning an impressive $155 million domestically. This marked not only the largest opening weekend of the year but also the biggest-ever debut for a female director. In the weeks that followed, it achieved another milestone by becoming Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing domestic release, surpassing the previous record-holder, the 2008 blockbuster “The Dark Knight.”