Denzel Washington is one of the biggest stars working today, but unlike many of his peers, he built a successful and acclaimed career with very few sequels. In fact, despite being a star since the 1980s, Washington’s first sequel did not come until 2018’s The Equalizer 2, which was then followed by 2023’s The Equalizer 3. Washington also appeared in Gladiator II, despite not starring in the original movie, and his rumored role in the upcoming Black Panther 3 means that he is becoming more open to sequels, despite it taking a while.
Washington is regarded as one of the best actors of all time, and his career makes that point hard to argue with. He is the winner of two Oscars with eight other nominations, becoming a rare actor to have earned at least one nomination in every decade since the 1980s. His career continues to go strong, even with his avoidance of big blockbusters and franchises. However, while The Equalizer movies and other recent sequels are exciting, there is one sequel I’m still waiting to see Washington deliver.
I Wish Denzel Washington’s Inside Man 2 Had Been His Third Movie Sequel
Inside Man’s Ending Sets Up A Potential For More
One Denzel Washington movie that seems perfect for a sequel is 2006’s Inside Man. The thrilling heist movie saw Washington reuniting with Spike Lee, his long-time collaborator with whom he made the likes of Malcolm X and He Got Game. Inside Man was a much more commercial movie for the two artists as Washington starred as Detective Keith Frazier, an NYPD negotiator who is brought in to deal with a bank robbery that has turned into a hostage situation.
The movie is an intense and clever take on the genre with Washington as the grounded hero who is trying to stop the tense situation from escalating as he matches wits with the head bank robber, played by Clive Owen. Meanwhile, a top political fixer (Jodie Foster) gets involved, which makes it clear that this is no ordinary bank heist.
The movie was a hit with audiences and critics, earning $184.4 million at the global box office (via Box Office Mojo) and scoring 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Over the years, the film has continued to be praised as an inventive entry into the genre, with Lee and his actors elevating the material. Inside Man‘s ending is also part of its long-lasting legacy, with the final moments revealing that Owen’s bank robber hid away in the bank for weeks after the heist, eventually escaping with a diamond and stealthily sneaking a diamond to Frazier.
As much as Frazier is amused to realize what happened, he also doesn’t seem like the kind of cop who would let a criminal get away. He seems reluctant to end the investigation when his superior officers are uninterested in pursuing it any further. Therefore, Inside Man 2 is set up with Frazier finally trying to bring the mastermind to justice.
Why Inside Man 2 Never Happened
Spike Lee Was Set To Return With Washington And The Rest Of The Cast
Despite the success of the movie, it has been nearly 20 years since Inside Man was released, and there is still no sequel. However, that does not mean there were no attempts to continue the story. Shortly after the success of the original film, Inside Man 2 was announced in November 2006 with Spike Lee returning to direct. It was later revealed that the main cast of the original, including Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, were all set to reprise their roles.
The sequel was reported to find Owen’s Dalton Russell once again planning another elaborate heist, only to find himself facing off with Detective Frazier once again (via UGO). Sadly, the movie didn’t work out simply because Lee was unable to get funding for the project, an obstacle the filmmaker himself expressed disbelief about (via BET):
“Inside Man was my most successful film, but we can’t get the sequel made. And one thing Hollywood does well is sequels. The film’s not getting made. We tried many times. It’s not going to happen.”
It is rather shocking that such a successful movie with the A-list talent willing to return would be unable to get made. A direct-to-video sequel, Inside Man: Most Wanted, was eventually made in 2019, but the sequel featured none of the original cast and was very loosely connected to the first installment. It was seen as a generic heist flick labeled as Inside Man 2 to boost interest among fans.
However, Lee and Washington are finally ready to reunite with the upcoming Akira Kurosawa remake, Highest 2 Lowest. While the movie seems like the next best thing to Inside Man 2, as it is another crime story, the reunion between the two collaborators could reignite talks about the sequel actually happening.
