Does anyone remember the late '80s CBS show The Equalizer starring British thespian Edward Woodward? He played a guy named Robert McCall that was kind of a cross between Alec Guinness (STAR WARS) and Charles Bronson (DEATH WISH), who takes it upon himself to clean up the pre-Giuliani streets of New York. How did he get the word out, you ask? Well, he did what any self-respecting entrepreneurial vigilante would do...he put an ad out in the paper: "Got a problem? Odds against you? When there´s no place to turn, the Equalizer will take care of you."

The project has been stuck in neutral for years over at the Weinstein Co., but with Russell Crowe now attached it looks as if interest in the film is starting to gain some traction. Having always thought that Crowe would have made a truly memorable turn as a Jedi, and the incredibly appealing idea of the bullish icon playing a hitman for hire, this seems like a no-brainer for studios looking to invest (I got five on it!). It's only a shame that the big screen version of THE EQUALIZER didn't come before THE BRAVE ONE, DEATH SENTENCE, HITMAN, THE PUNISHER, EDGE OF DARKNESS, and HARRY BROWN...Ad nauseum Ad infinitum.

The real question is, will Crowe be driving a brand new Jaguar concept car in this latest TV-to-film adaptation? In the original show, McCall drove the Jaguar XJ6 all over the streets of New York which is a little high profile for a vigilante, don't cha' think? I can see the commercials already. In fact, Jaguar should get high profile actors and directors (just as BMW did a few years back) to create short films based around the theme of vigilante justice. The only rule should be that the vignette has to feature the new Jaguar that will be on display in THE EQUALIZER.

Check out the best of the BMW shorts below starring Clive Owen, Gary Oldman and James Brown directed by Tony Scott!

Source: LA Times