The Equalizer 3 was one of 2023’s most memorable films, and amongst the violence and action, fans may have taken a moment to appreciate the beautiful scenery featured within the film. The threequel has swapped out the chaotic city setting of Boston for a more scenic and peaceful setting in the Mediterranean.
At least, it was peaceful before Robert McCall arrived. So let’s break down where The Equalizer 3 was set and filmed.
Where exactly is the film set?
The third installment in The Equalizer franchise sees Robert McCall, played by Denzel Washington, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. The film makes full use of its beautiful locations, even setting some action scenes in a thousand-year-old church that’s sitting atop a hill.
Aside from that, the lush Mediterranean sea and beaches make for a cool backdrop for The Equalizer 3 that contrasts with the more gritty action film.
Was it filmed on location?
While some film studios would opt to use similar-looking locations within the United States to save on time and budget, this wasn’t the case with The Equalizer 3, which was filmed on location. Sony was completely on board with the idea to go abroad and shoot on location along the Amalfi Coast as well as other parts of Italy, including Rome and Naples.
Talking about the decision to shoot abroad, The Equalizer 3‘s director, Antoine Fuqua, spoke with The Associated Press regarding how it all happened:
“We thought it would be nice to see a man of color in a story that’s more international. Why not take this character around the world? Luckily, Sony loved the idea.”
So, why Italy?
The reason behind why The Equalizer 3 is set in Italy is quite simple. As it turns out, it’s one of Washington’s favorite vacation spots. According to Fuqua, he goes every year and speaks some Italian.
Parts of the film were shot in the legendary Cinecittà studios where famous moviemakers like Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, and Martin Scorsese have worked, something which Fuqua was very excited to experience as a director himself.
Is McCall fond of the Amalfi Coast?
At the The Equalizer 3‘s beginning, McCall unwittingly spends some time on the Italian coast. As the movie was primarily filmed on location, McCall’s feeling for the people and country comes across as increasingly authentic. McCall’s desire to stay in Italy grows as he spends more time there. Fuqua told Fandom he and Washington felt a deep affinity for Italy, which inspired the story’s setting.
“Being in Italy, there’s so much great history, rich culture,” said Fuqua. “That was the [other] biggest influence. Being in the setting, being in those environments, looking at the history, looking at the texture, going to the museums, going up to the Amalfi [Coast]. That was my biggest influence. Italy has such a great history of art and violence. That’s really where I was coming from with the action.”
Why return to life off the grid?
As Fuqua told the outlet, McCall makes an effort to step back into civilian life, reminding the viewer of classic Westerns’ retired gunslingers. It turned out that Italy was the perfect setting for McCall to put his life in perspective.
“[We were] just trying to find a place that felt like he may settle down,” noted Fuqua. “A place that I know Denzel loves, Italy, as well as myself. And a small fishing town off the grid felt like it was something Robert McCall would do. A place that’s unexpected. That’s how Italy came about.”
What were the filming challenges for The Equalizer 3?
Of course, the setting did pose a bit of a challenge for The Equalizer 3 crew to film, as Fuqua recalls in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. That old church on top of the hill mentioned earlier was a particularly difficult scene to shoot because just getting the equipment to the location proved a massive burden.
When I got there, I said, ‘So, how are we going to get this equipment up the steps? Oh, we use donkeys.’ I didn’t see one donkey in Italy the whole time I was there. […] I saw my crew, with cigarettes dangling out of their mouths carrying equipment up these steps. There was a lot of puking going on.
In the end, it seems like it was worth it as the cast and crew seemed to have a great time shooting in Italy, and the locations look gorgeous on screen, too, even if they are just backdrops for some over-the-top violent action scenes.