Queen Latifah is set to star in a potential reboot of the TV series “The Equalizer” at CBS.
The new series has received a pilot production commitment at the broadcaster. It is described a reimagining of the classic series in which Queen Latifah portrays an enigmatic figure who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.
The original series starred Edward Woodward and ran for four seasons on CBS between 1985 and 1989. It was co-created by Richard Lindheim and Michael Sloan. It was then adapted into two feature films starring Denzel Washington in the title role, with the first debuting in 2014 and the second in 2018.
Andrew Marlowe and Terri Miller will serve as writers, executive producers, and showrunners on the new series. Queen Latifah will also serve as an executive producer in addition to starring. John Davis, John Fox of Davis Entertainment, Debra Martin Chase of Martin Chase Productions, Lindheim, and Shakim Compere of Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment will also executive produce. Universal Television will produce in association with CBS Television Studios.
The husband and wife team of Marlowe and Miller most famously worked together on the hit ABC series “Castle,” on which Marlowe was the creator and showrunner and Miller was an executive producer. Most recently, the pair co-created the ABC summer drama “Take Two.”
Should “The Equalizer” go to series, it would mark one of few regular TV roles for Queen Latifah, whose real name is Dana Owens. In addition to her storied music career, she has previously starred in shows such as “Living Single” and most recently “Star,” both of which aired on Fox. She is also set to appear as Ursula in ABC’s upcoming live staging of “The Little Mermaid.” She has starred in films such as “Hairspray,” “Barbershop 2: Back in Business” and “Beauty Shop,” “Last Holiday,” and the Emmy-winning HBO film “Bessie,” in which she played singer Bessie Smith.
She is repped by UTA, Randi Michel at Flavor Unit, and attorney Stu Levy.
“The Equalizer” marks the second high-profile action project CBS has put into development this season. Previously, the network announced a put pilot order for a drama starring Dolph Lundgren with Sylvester Stallone executive producing in which Lundgren would play a black-ops solider working for the U.N. CBS also previously gave out a pilot production commitment to the comedy “FUN” from “2 Broke Girls” co-creator Michael Patrick King.
