Antoine Fuqua's Life in Film: From the Beginning to The Equalizer

From Bait to Olympus Has Fallen, a look at Antoine's work.

Antoine Fuqua - He’s one of the best action directors in Hollywood, but Antoine Fuqua has the added distinction of bringing Oscar buzz to his gritty, testosterone-charged films — especially when they star Denzel Washington. In anticipation of the duo’s latest collaboration, The Equalizer in theaters September 26, we’re talking a look back at Fuqua’s life in film.If there were any films we left off the list, tell us using #TheEqualizer.(Photo: D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

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Antoine Fuqua - He’s one of the best action directors in Hollywood, but Antoine Fuqua has the added distinction of bringing Oscar buzz to his gritty, testosterone-charged films — especially when they star Denzel Washington. In anticipation of the duo’s latest collaboration, The Equalizer in theaters September 26, we’re talking a look back at Fuqua’s life in film.If there were any films we left off the list, tell us using #TheEqualizer.(Photo: D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

The Replacement Killers (1998) - After spending years as a successful music video director,Fuqua made his feature film debut with this action thriller. Starring Hong Kongsuperstar Chow Yun-Fat as a deadly Chinese assassin forced to take a job with apowerful underworld boss in order to protect his family, Fuqua’s goal was tocreate a “Taxi Driver for the 1990s.” With its slick cinematography andcarefully choreographed action sequences, the film put Fuqua on the map as avisionary action director.(Photo: Columbia Pictures)

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The Replacement Killers (1998) - After spending years as a successful music video director,Fuqua made his feature film debut with this action thriller. Starring Hong Kongsuperstar Chow Yun-Fat as a deadly Chinese assassin forced to take a job with apowerful underworld boss in order to protect his family, Fuqua’s goal was tocreate a “Taxi Driver for the 1990s.” With its slick cinematography andcarefully choreographed action sequences, the film put Fuqua on the map as avisionary action director.(Photo: Columbia Pictures)

Bait (2000) - Jamie Foxx stars as an inept, small-time crook who getslured into an FBI takedown of a criminal mastermind in this action comedy. Whilethe film wasn’t a favorite with most critics, it did have a vocal fan in RogerEbert, who called it an “an over-the-top exercise in comedy that cuts loosefrom logic and enjoys itself.”(Photo: Castle Rock Entertainment)

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Bait (2000) - Jamie Foxx stars as an inept, small-time crook who getslured into an FBI takedown of a criminal mastermind in this action comedy. Whilethe film wasn’t a favorite with most critics, it did have a vocal fan in RogerEbert, who called it an “an over-the-top exercise in comedy that cuts loosefrom logic and enjoys itself.”(Photo: Castle Rock Entertainment)

Training Day (2001) - This gritty cop drama marks the first collaboration between Fuqua and Denzel Washington, and earned the veteran actor an Oscar for his portrayal of a Los Angeles narcotics detective who frequently crosses the line to the wrong side of the law. The film was both critically acclaimed and a box office hit, making Washington the first Black actor since Sidney Poitier to win the Best Actor prize at the Academy Awards.(Photo: Warner Bros)

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Training Day (2001) - This gritty cop drama marks the first collaboration between Fuqua and Denzel Washington, and earned the veteran actor an Oscar for his portrayal of a Los Angeles narcotics detective who frequently crosses the line to the wrong side of the law. The film was both critically acclaimed and a box office hit, making Washington the first Black actor since Sidney Poitier to win the Best Actor prize at the Academy Awards.(Photo: Warner Bros)

Tears of the Sun (2003) - As a Navy SEAL sent on a search-and-rescue mission in war-torn Nigeria, Bruce Willis has a tough choice to make: follow the orders of his command, or go rogue and save the lives of innocent locals. Guess which path he chooses? Fuqua goes high-minded and political in this follow-up to his breakthrough hit Training Day.(Photo: Revolution Studios)

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Tears of the Sun (2003) - As a Navy SEAL sent on a search-and-rescue mission in war-torn Nigeria, Bruce Willis has a tough choice to make: follow the orders of his command, or go rogue and save the lives of innocent locals. Guess which path he chooses? Fuqua goes high-minded and political in this follow-up to his breakthrough hit Training Day.(Photo: Revolution Studios)

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Lightning in a Bottle (2004) - Saxophones and guitar replace guns and the explosives for Fuqua’s magical documentary about a one-time-only concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall that brings together some of the world’s greatest performers for a tribute to the Blues. BB King, Steven Tyler, Macy Gray, Chuck D and Natalie Cole are just some of the artists who perform together on stage (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics)

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Lightning in a Bottle (2004) - Saxophones and guitar replace guns and the explosives for Fuqua’s magical documentary about a one-time-only concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall that brings together some of the world’s greatest performers for a tribute to the Blues. BB King, Steven Tyler, Macy Gray, Chuck D and Natalie Cole are just some of the artists who perform together on stage (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics)

King Arthur (2004) - Fuqua rewrites history, sort of, with this retelling of the King Arthur myth. In this version, Arthur (played by Clive Owen) is a flesh-and-blood hero, a reluctant leader torn between private ambitions and a call to duty. Using the most recent research available on the mythic past of the British hero, Fuqua’s King Arthur proved that the Dark Ages story had modern-day resonance.(Photo: Touchstone Pictures)

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King Arthur (2004) - Fuqua rewrites history, sort of, with this retelling of the King Arthur myth. In this version, Arthur (played by Clive Owen) is a flesh-and-blood hero, a reluctant leader torn between private ambitions and a call to duty. Using the most recent research available on the mythic past of the British hero, Fuqua’s King Arthur proved that the Dark Ages story had modern-day resonance.(Photo: Touchstone Pictures)

Shooter (2007) - Mark Wahlberg plays a retired Marine sniper who is lured back into service by his former boss (Danny Glover) to save the president from an assassination attempt only to be double crossed by the government in this fast-paced conspiracy thriller. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

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Shooter (2007) - Mark Wahlberg plays a retired Marine sniper who is lured back into service by his former boss (Danny Glover) to save the president from an assassination attempt only to be double crossed by the government in this fast-paced conspiracy thriller. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

Photo By Photo: Paramount Pictures

Brooklyn's Finest (2010) - Fuqua brings together the elements that made Training Day a huge success — action, corruption and an A-list ensemble cast — with this film about a veteran cop on the brink of retirement (Richard Gere), an undercover officer whose lost perspective (Don Cheadle) and a narcotics officer desperate to provide a better life for his family (Ethan Hawke) who come together to battle the violence and corruption of Brooklyn’s gritty 65th precinct. Cheadle earned a BET Award nomination for Best Actor for the film.(Photo: Millenium Pictures)

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Brooklyn's Finest (2010) - Fuqua brings together the elements that made Training Day a huge success — action, corruption and an A-list ensemble cast — with this film about a veteran cop on the brink of retirement (Richard Gere), an undercover officer whose lost perspective (Don Cheadle) and a narcotics officer desperate to provide a better life for his family (Ethan Hawke) who come together to battle the violence and corruption of Brooklyn’s gritty 65th precinct. Cheadle earned a BET Award nomination for Best Actor for the film.(Photo: Millenium Pictures)

Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - Once again, Fuqua stuck to the formula that works for this big-budget action thriller, and with a nearly $100 million gross at the box office, it worked. This time around, Gerard Butler plays the disgraced serviceman (in the form of a presidential guard) reluctantly called back to duty to save the world — or, in this case, the White House and it’s commander-in-chief (Aaron Eckhart). Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett also star as the Speaker of the House and Secret Service Director, respectively.(Photo: Millenium Pictures)

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Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - Once again, Fuqua stuck to the formula that works for this big-budget action thriller, and with a nearly $100 million gross at the box office, it worked. This time around, Gerard Butler plays the disgraced serviceman (in the form of a presidential guard) reluctantly called back to duty to save the world — or, in this case, the White House and it’s commander-in-chief (Aaron Eckhart). Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett also star as the Speaker of the House and Secret Service Director, respectively.(Photo: Millenium Pictures)

The Equalizer on DVD - One of the year's biggest movie releases, The Equalizer is coming to DVD on December 30. The action-packed film starring Denzel Washington opened at the top of box office with $34.1 million. The Equalizer, directed by Antoine Fuqua, also stars Marton Csokas and Chloë Grace Moretz.(Photo: Sony Pictures)

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The Equalizer (2014) - Over a decade after Training Day, Fuqua and Denzel Washington finally reteam for this action drama. Washington is already attracting Oscar buzz for his performance as a man with a mysterious, dangerous past who puts retirement on hold to save a young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) from the control of the violent Russian mafia. Fuqua’s action-and-explosives packed sequences are underscored by Washington’s quiet resolve, and the most dangerous weapon in the film lurks somewhere behind his eyes. The Equalizer hits theaters everywhere on September 26.(Photo: Sony Pictures)