How Much The Equalizer 3 Cost To Make & What Box Office It Needs

Will The Equalizer 3 repeat the success of its two predecessors? Here's how much of a box office haul the movie needs to be considered a hit.

The Equalizer 3 could have a big opening weekend, but its success is all relative to how much the movie cost to make. The new movie sees Denzel Washington reprising his role as Robert McCall, a former U.S. Marine, who takes on the mafia in Southern Italy. The upcoming threequel represents the only franchise the prolific actor has ever led, in spite of all his years in the industry.

The Equalizer 3 has gotten a mixed reception from critics. GamesRadar perfectly summed up the mixed response, noting, "Denzel Washington is compelling in Robert McCall's swan song, but the story often falls flat." However, the threequel still has a stronger Rotten Tomatoes score than The Equalizer 2, and the movie delivers even more shocking kills than its predecessors. Nevertheless, it isn't clear whether the reviews will hold it back or if its abundance of action will lend itself well to its box office performance, especially with Equalizer 3 being released when Washington isn't allowed to promote it.

How much it needs to suceed, of course, is tied directly to its budget. It was reported by Variety that The Equalizer 3 had a budget of $70 million, which continues a franchise trend. The Equalizer is one of the most consistent franchises, as both The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2 made almost exactly $190 million (via The Numbers) and had budgets of almost exactly $70 million. Budgets for movies in a franchise generally increase with each consecutive sequel, as there are bigger action sequences and higher actors' salaries. In that respect, it's an impressive feat that Sony has managed to keep the number at that figure.

The Equalizer 3 needs to make $175 million to break even and become a success. The general rule of thumb is that a movie needs to make 2.5 times its budget to become successful, as the marketing budget is usually equal to its production cost, and then there's the movie theaters' cut. In that respect, based on The Equalizer 3's $70 million budget, the movie needs to make $175 million before Sony can call the movie a success. Unfortunately, The Equalizer 3 could be a franchise low at the box office, as it's projected to earn between $28-30 million in its opening weekend, which is less than its predecessors.

However, there isn't much difference, as The Equalizer made $34 million in its opening weekend, and The Equalizer 2 earned $36 million. On top of that, the four-day labor weekend could see the threequel make up to $40 million. The Equalizer 3 might not reach the franchise high of $192 million, but it'll certainly come close and continue the series' extremely rare consistency. The Equalizer 3 is rated R by the MPAA, which generally limits a movie's audience, but the rating could also work to its advantage. An R rating promises a level of over-the-top violence, and The Equalizer 3 absolutely delivers on that promise.

Currently splitting his time between Madrid and Chicago, Stephen Barker has been a staff writer at Screen Rant since 2020. Since graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with a bachelor's degree in Film, Television, and Cultural Studies in 2014, he has written for numerous movie and music websites. Visit Stephen's personal blog, Quaranste, where he writes about guilty pleasure movies, his latest musical discoveries, and how he stays creative during global pandemics.