CBS Gives Pilot Order To ‘The Equalizer’ Remake Starring Queen Latifah
CBS has handed a pilot order to a remake of ‘The Equalizer’, with Queen Latifah set to take the lead role, the US broadcaster has announced.
Some of you (of a certain age) will remember the original tv series, which ran on ITV in the UK, and starred Edward Woodward as a mysterious retired intelligence agent who used the skills from his former life to help innocent people in need. This new take on the show sees Latifah in the role as “an enigmatic figure who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.”
‘Take Two’ creators Andrew Marlowe & Terri Miller write the show and serve as showrunners. Marlowe, who also created the series ‘Castle’, exec produces with Miller and Latifah. They are joined by John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment, Debra Martin Chase of Martin Chase Productions, and co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series, Richard Lindheim. Universal TV produces the drama in association with CBS TV Studios.
Along with being an accomplished singer/songwriter Queen Latifah has an extensive body of work in acting, winning a Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe, along with an Academy Award nomination. In films, she starred in the musicals ‘Chicago’ and ‘Hairspray’, along with taking roles in ‘The Dilemma’, ’22 Jump Street’, and most recently, ‘Girls Trip’. In tv, she has most recently been appearing in ‘Scream: The TV Series’ and the Lee Daniels series ‘Star’.
The original show, created by Lindheim and Michael Sloan, ran on CBS for 4 seasons from 1985-89. Denzel Washington starred in a big-screen remake of the drama in 2014, directed by Antoine Fuqua, which spawned a sequel in 2018, also directed by Fuqua.
As this is only a pilot order there is no guarantee ‘The Equalizer’ will go to series, but we’ll let you know if/when we hear more.
