The 2001 film “Training Day,” which starred Denzel Washington, has a prequel on the way.
Deadline reports the film will be set in the early ’90s around the time of the L.A. Riots, which started after four cops were let off after viciously beating construction worker Rodney King. The beating was captured on film from a nearby balcony by a man named George Holliday.
At this point, there’s no word whether Washington will be reprising his role in some form or if Ethan Hawke, the original’s co-star, will be in it. Nick Yarborough, a new Hollywood writer, will handle the screenplay, but a director hasn’t been named yet.
Antoine Fuqua directed the original film which saw Washington play Alonzo Harris, a dirty narcotics officer, who’s knee-deep in the drug game and works directly with people in the underworld.
Hawke’s character, Jake Hoyt, is a rookie officer who gets partnered with Washington, and he has no idea what he’s in for.
The movie takes place in a 12-hour span, and during that time officer Hoyt learns just what type of cop Harris is. He’s also put through some pretty harrowing situations.
Washington won Best Actor at the 2002 Oscars for his portrayal of Harris, which is the same year Halle Berry won Best Actress for the film “Monster’s Ball.” Hawke was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “Training Day” but didn’t take home the trophy.
Others in the original include the singer Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Eva Mendes, who played Washington’s mistress.
As for the prequel, it will show Officer Harris’ younger years, but it’s not known if the story will pick up once he was already corrupt or before that. The forthcoming project, which belongs to Warner Bros., is said to still be in its very early stages.
In 2015 a TV version of “Training Day” aired on CBS, but it was cancelled after one season because its co-star Bill Paxton died of a stroke.
