The Equalizer 3 Nabs $3.8M in Thursday Previews

The Equalizer 3 has a solid debut in Thursday previews as the final outing of the popular trilogy is set to rule the Labor Day weekend box office.

Denzel Washington's third and final outing as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 3 got off to a solid start in Thursday previews as the film is set to dominate the Labor Day weekend box office.

Per Deadline, The Equalizer 3 grossed $3.8 million from Thursday previews that began at 3:00 PM at 3,241 locations. The preview figure is the highest of the franchise so far with The Equalizer nabbing $1.45 million in Thursday preview revenue back in 2014 on its way to a $34.1 million opening weekend. The Equalizer 2 grossed $3.1 million on preview night before heading to a $36 million debut.

The Equalizer 3 Eyes a Strong Labor Day Weekend

The franchise has been remarkably consistent, debuting in the $30 million+ range so far. The third film is tracking for a $30-40 million 4-day holiday weekend launch, so it would be in line with what the series has done so far. The Equalizer ultimately grossed $101.5 million domestically and $192.3 million worldwide while the sequel ended its run at $102.1 million at the domestic box office and $190.4 million globally.

Sony will have scored two box office victories within two weeks following winning the box office last weekend with the debut of Gran Turismo, which opened at number one to $17.4 million. Depending on how Gran Turismo holds in weekend two, it's possible that the studio will have the number one and number two film in America, something Warner Bros. did twice already this summer when Barbie topped the chart and Meg 2: The Trench landed in second and when Blue Beetle debuted at number one, pushing Barbie to the runner-up spot.

Reviews for The Equalizer 3 are solid at 77 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which should go a long way helping word of mouth. The audience score is currently even better at 92 percent, so the film is already registering with the moviegoers. Like most of the films that have been released post the SAG-AFTRA strike, The Equalizer 3 wasn't able to benefit from its cast doing press, so awareness has to be built in other ways to get butts in the seats.

The Equalizer 3 serves as the final installment of the film franchise that is based on the television series of the same name. In this installment, Robert McCall (Washington) finds himself being wounded while on a mission in Sicily. After being nursed back to health, McCall finds a sense of peace in his new surroundings, but that is all upended when his new friends are discovered to be under the control of Camorra, the Italian mafia. In addition to Washington, the film also stars Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar and Remo Girone.

The Equalizer 3 is currently playing in theaters nationwide.