Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, but also has a remake of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low on the horizon, which sees him reuniting with director Spike Lee.
In a recent interview with Today, Washington confirms that he plans to retire from acting after a handful of new projects that he has lined up. After Gladiator II, the actor reveals that he will be playing several iconic Shakespeare characters, and that he will be appearing in films from filmmakers Steve McQueen and Ryan Coogler, the latter of whom will be putting Washington in Black Panther 3. Check out Washington's comment below or watch the video interview (relevant section begins at 4:00):
I don't know how many more films I'm going to make. Probably not that many. I want to do things I haven't done. I've played Othello at 22, I'm about to play Othello at 70. After that I'm playing Hannibal. After that I've been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that Ryan Coogler's writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. After that I'm going to do the film Othello. After that I'm going to do King Lear. After that I'm going to retire.
What Denzel Washington's Retirement Reveal Means For His Projects
He Doesn't Have Many Mainstream Movies Left
Washington is widely respected as an actor, and he's won two Academy Awards. He has effectively bounced between awards-worthy fare and more popcorn entertainment, and his latest comment suggests that his next projects will continue this trend.
All 12 Denzel Washington Movies From The 2000s, Ranked
Denzel Washington had one of the most incredible decades in film in the 2000s, with iconic performances in Training Day and American Gangster.
High and Low, which Washington doesn't mention, is set to be released in spring 2025, and this film will seemingly be more of a straightforward thriller. His Hannibal movie, about the Carthaginian general, will reunite him with Equalizer collaborator Antoine Fuqua. Coogler's Black Panther 3 will seemingly be the highest-profile project of the bunch, as a new entry in the MCU. His collaboration with McQueen remains a question mark, but McQueen typically makes more serious dramas.
McQueen is well-known for movies like Hunger (2008), Shame (2011), and 12 Years A Slave (2013). His World War II drama Blitz marks his latest release.
Washington, then, only really has four more mainstream movies on the horizon after Gladiator 2. It seems as if he'll be making both Othello and King Lear stage plays, before the former then also gets adapted into a film, but no director is attached. Shakespeare movie adaptations, however, tend to have more niche audience appeal, so it's possible his Othello movie will be a quieter release.
Our Take On Denzel Washington's Impending Retirement
Will The Actor Stay Retired?
Taking Washington's comment as face value, he may only have five movies left after Gladiator 2, and at least one of these movies probably won't be widely seen. It's possible, however, that Washington will continue to appear in movies in the coming years, despite his comments. Legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis was recently said to have retired only to be spotted not long later filming a new project. Anthony Hopkins, too, has come in and out of retirement over the last two decades.
Minds can certainly change, and it's clear that, for some actors, the right project can be enough to draw them back into acting. If Washington will be retiring in the next couple of years, it will certainly be a loss for Hollywood, but he has amassed some truly impressive credits over the last few decades and has ultimately had an enviable career worth celebrating.
Source: Today
