By “You gotta be a wolf to catch a wolf” – Alonzo Harris
Lines like this and a supreme performance is what helped earn Denzel Washington his first Academy Award as a lead. In fact, there was so much spirit wolf going around that Ethan Hawke nearly won an Oscar in support. Wild dogs and King Kong pulled audiences into a day in the life of a veteran narcotics officer and his new rookie partner on their South Central Los Angeles beat where anything and everything can—and does—happen.
Originally released in 2001, rumors of an extension to the film came and went until a TV series was developed, aired, and cancelled after one season in 2017. Now, Warner Bros. has announced that a prequel focused on Harris is in the works, set nearly ten years earlier and coinciding with the Rodney King verdict. Imagine a younger ‘Zo being front and center of the ensuing LA Riots, and his convictions and swagger in the original start to come into focus just a bit.
While the film has been announced, there’s no word on who is involved. With technology they can easily make Denzel look like a younger version of himself (right Will Smith?) or simply find another actor who’s willing to fill some incredibly big shoes (Denzel’s son, perhaps?). While the speculation stirs around Denzel, it also hovers over director Antoine Fuqua, who brought to life David Ayer’s script with such profundity that it’s hard to imagine another one without his involvement.
We know how things ended for ‘Zo, but we were dropped in media res of his life. He’s already corrupt and working both sides, but maybe there was a time he was as young and naive as Jake, standing firm on a patch of grass before straddling the fence.
‘Training Day’ Prequel in the Works at Warner Bros. [Collider]
