A Training Day prequel movie needs Denzel Washington’s involvement but not necessarily in the lead actor role. The 2001 action-crime drama from director Antoine Fuqua remains one of Washington’s most iconic movie roles in his illustrious career. However, with over twenty years passing since the release of the classic movie, there are concerns about the 68-year-old Washington’s age. It’s improbable that the acclaimed actor could convincingly pull off a younger version of his infamous character Alonzo in an anticipated prequel movie.
Fuqua has recently confirmed these sentiments, stating that the Training Day prequel can’t happen because of Washington. Fuqua believes that Washington would have had to be closer to his age in the original film for the Training Day prequel to work, claiming that the window of opportunity for another installment has already passed them by. With that being said, a Training Day prequel could still plausibly be made with Washington’s involvement if he oversaw the creative direction of the film rather than starring in it.
A Training Day Prequel Must Recast Denzel Washington’s Alonzo
The best path forward for a Training Day prequel would involve recasting Washington’s role as Alonzo. Washington laid down such a strong foundation in the original film that an experienced actor would be able to take the reins in the spirit of Washington’s character. While de-aging Washington is also an option for the film, it would be a stronger position for a potential franchise to let a rising talent embody Alonzo’s portrayal. With a wide array of skillful and established actors in modern entertainment, finding a replacement for Washington would be the simple and most advantageous decision for the Training Day prequel.
One of the first candidates that comes to mind to naturally replace Denzel Washington is his son, John David Washington. Washington has already amassed an impressive acting resumé with leading roles in the HBO series Ballers and Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending action-thriller Tenet alongside Robert Pattinson. Recasting Alonzo with John David Washington would also provide great marketing appeal to the Training Day prequel with the implication that Denzel would offer him close guidance of the iconic character. It would also create a unique parent-child working relationship that would add extra emphasis and sentimentality to the production at large, similar to how Ethan Hawke recently directed his daughter Maya in Wildcat.
Denzel Washington Should Direct A Training Day Prequel Movie
If Denzel can’t star in the Training Day prequel as Fuqua has stated, then perhaps he’d be a better fit as its director. Denzel has already directed several films that have been well-received, including the 2016 Oscar-winning movie Fences and the critically acclaimed 2002 biopic Antwone Fisher. Especially if his son John David took over the celebrated part of Alonzo in a Training Day prequel, Denzel would have a fresh opportunity to flex his directorial muscles. He already knows the project by heart and would have a lead actor who would be malleable and still feel like a natural fit.
