Christopher McQuarrie, who has previously directed several Mission: Impossible films is busy working on an untitled thriller. Only time round, the lead is not Tom Cruise. The thriller stars Denzel Washington, which means the danger will be calm, collected and instant.
Denzel Washington will play a former police detective with terminal brain cancer who receives compassionate release from prison with only six months to live. Given Washington’s movie history, this type of role is right up his alley. And you can bet that he will play the role without breaking a sweat. Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists have already given the project the green light, with a cinema release scheduled for 1 October 2027.
According to The Hollywood Reporter , Washington’s character is serving a life sentence when he receives the diagnosis. The authorities grant him compassionate release, allowing him to return home to the daughter he left behind and the grandson he has never met. All he wants is to make amends and leave his past alone.
Unfortunately, his past has other plans.
Of course it does. Nobody hires Denzel Washington so that he can return home, apologise politely and spend six peaceful months gardening. Scott Barkan and Gregg Zehentner wrote the screenplay. McQuarrie will direct and produce alongside Heather McQuarrie, Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt and several other producers. Production is expected to begin in November.
I personally think that Washington is an ideal fit for the role. A former detective with a questionable past. A damaged family relationship, limited time and people who should probably leave him alone. Come on, we know that there is nobody out there who could do this role justice quite like Washington.
We’ve seen him play men who understand crime from both sides. In Training Day, he played Alonzo Harris, a corrupt detective who could turn an ordinary conversation into a threat before the other person realised what was happening. The performance earned him an Academy Award and made it very difficult to trust anyone offering a tour of Los Angeles.
My absolute best was when he played Robert McCall from The Equalizer. A quiet man attempting to live peacefully while carrying a particular set of skills that make peaceful living almost impossible. Every time McCall tries to mind his own business, somebody behaves badly and then violence steps in.
Oh, let’s not forget Man on Fire. The story of another damaged man seeking redemption. John Creasy began the film tired, lost and disconnected from the world. But once he found something worth protecting, everyone responsible for taking it away discovered just how bad their day could become.
Even Inside Man placed him inside familiar territory as a detective trying to understand a criminal who always appeared to be several steps ahead.
The best thing about all of this is that with Washington there is no need to chase people across rooftops or roll on the ground. The manner in which he uses his authority is enough to let somebody know that they have wasted his time.
The terminal diagnosis makes the role more interesting because it places a deadline over everything. This man does not have several years to repair his relationship with his daughter. He has six months. And if his past is coming after him, he must decide how much of that remaining time he is willing to spend fighting it.
So the obvious question is: how does McQuarrie fit into this? I mean, the energy is different. McQuarrie has spent years directing Tom Cruise while Cruise jumps from aircraft, motorcycles and whatever dangerous object happens to be nearby. With Washington, there is no need to sprint through every scene. All he needs to do is sit down and explain exactly what will happen next. It is an interesting combination that could work beautifully. McQuarrie knows how to construct tension and action, while Washington knows how to make a dangerous man feel tired, intelligent and completely believable. The story also gives him something emotional to work with beneath the crime-thriller machinery.
Now, I agree that without a title or supporting cast, things might look a little hazy. But let’s be honest, Denzel Washington playing a dying former detective whose past refuses to leave him alone… that’s probably all we need right now.
Some men should be allowed to spend their final months in peace. But unfortunately for whoever comes looking for him, this particular man will be played by Denzel
