Denzel Washington reportedly declined a role in the “Fast & Furious” franchise back in 2013, which would have potentially allowed him to break his highest-grossing movie record with “Furious 7.”
According to Deadline, Washington passed on the high-action movie.
While the specific role he was offered remains undisclosed, it’s speculated to be Mr. Nobody, later played by Kurt Russell, Screen Rant reported.
Missed Money-Making Opportunity?
Despite the opportunity for a significant box office success, Washington’s decision was arguably justified given the minimal role Mr. Nobody played in subsequent films. Still, the franchise has grossed over $7.3 billion globally.
However, there’s still speculation about Washington’s potential future involvement in the franchise, with some cast members expressing interest in having him join.
Washington has starred in several successful movies throughout his career. His top grossing films include “American Gangster” (2007), directed by Ridley Scott, where he played real-life drug kingpin “Frank Lucas,” IMDb reported.
The movie earned $266.5 million worldwide. In “Safe House” (2012), an action thriller co-starring Ryan Reynolds, Denzel played a former CIA operative. The movie grossed $208 million globally.
In “The Pelican Brief” (1993), a legal thriller co-starring Julia Roberts, Denzel played a leading role and the movie was a major box office hit, earning $195.3 million worldwide. In “Philadelphia” (1993), a drama about lawyer discriminated against because of his HIV condition, Denzel played a lawyer defending Tom Hanks’ character.
The movie grossed $206 million globally. “Inside Man” (2006), a crime thriller directed by Spike Lee, starred Denzel as a detective and grossed $184.4 million at the box office.
Finally, there was “The Equalizer” franchise. The 2014 first installment, an action film in which Denzel played a former black ops agent, earned $192 million worldwide. There have been three total, with the second in 2018 and latest one in 2023.
The “Fast & Furious” franchise has been a highly successful film series for Universal Pictures.
The franchise has grossed over $7 billion worldwide at the box office, including the spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw,” making it the fifth-highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
The highest-grossing film in the franchise is “Furious 7” (2015), which earned over $1.5 billion globally, and was the first “Fast & Furious” film to cross the $1 billion mark.
Other top-grossing films in the franchise include “The Fate of the Furious” ($1.2 billion), “F9” ($726 million), and “Fast Five” ($626 million). The franchise has continued to perform well, with later installments consistently earning over $600 million globally, demonstrating its enduring popularity and commercial appeal.
The upcoming 10th installment, “Fast X,” reportedly has a production budget of $340 million, making it the most expensive film in the franchise.
