Why Inside Man 2 with Denzel Washington Could Have Been Hollywood’s Biggest Miss

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Denzel Washington, a prominent figure in Hollywood since the 80s, has carved out a remarkable and respected career with relatively few sequel films. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he managed to achieve success without relying heavily on sequels. His first sequel, “The Equalizer 2,” was released in 2018, followed by “The Equalizer 3” in 2023. Interestingly, Washington also appeared in a film titled “Gladiator II,” despite not being part of the original movie cast. The possibility of his involvement in “Black Panther 3” suggests that he may be more inclined to take on sequel roles now, although it’s something he resisted for a significant period.

Washington’s acting talent is widely recognized as among the greatest ever, a claim difficult to dispute given his impressive career. He has won two Oscars with eight additional nominations, making him one of the few actors to secure a nod in every decade since the 1980s. His career remains robust, despite his choice to shun large-scale blockbusters and franchises. Yet, while “The Equalizer” films and other recent sequels are thrilling, there’s one sequel I eagerly anticipate Washington will star in.

I Wish Denzel Washington’s Inside Man 2 Had Been His Third Movie Sequel

Inside Man’s Ending Sets Up A Potential For More

A potential sequel seems fitting for one of Denzel Washington’s films, “Inside Man” from 2006. This gripping heist movie marked Washington’s collaboration with Spike Lee, a partnership that produced masterpieces like “Malcolm X” and “He Got Game”. Unlike their previous projects, “Inside Man” represented a more commercially-oriented venture for the duo. In this film, Denzel Washington portrayed Detective Keith Frazier, an NYPD negotiator who was summoned to handle a bank robbery that had escalated into a hostage situation.

The film offers an intense and shrewd exploration of its genre, featuring Denzel Washington as our steadfast protagonist who strives to diffuse the escalating crisis while outsmarting the cunning bank robber portrayed by Clive Owen. Concurrently, a high-level political manipulator (Jodie Foster) enters the scene, suggesting this isn’t your typical bank heist.

The film was highly successful and well-received by both viewers and critics. It generated $184.4 million worldwide (as reported by Box Office Mojo) and received an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Over time, the movie has been consistently acclaimed for its innovative approach to the genre, with Lee and his cast contributing significantly to its quality. The intriguing ending of Inside Man remains one of its enduring aspects, as it was later revealed that Owen’s bank robber had secretly stayed inside the bank for weeks following the heist, eventually making off with a diamond and surreptitiously passing another diamond on to Frazier.

The setup for Inside Man 2 finds Frazier determined to apprehend the criminal, despite his superiors’ disinterest. This determination stems from both his amusement at the situation and a sense that he’s not the type of officer to let a case go unsolved.

Why Inside Man 2 Never Happened

Spike Lee Was Set To Return With Washington And The Rest Of The Cast

Although the movie “Inside Man” has been over 20 years old now, there’s yet to be a sequel, despite its initial success. This doesn’t necessarily mean that efforts to continue the story haven’t been made. In fact, just after the first film’s success in 2006, “Inside Man 2” was announced with Spike Lee set to direct once more. What followed was news that the original cast – Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Chiwetel Ejiofor – were all prepared to reprise their roles.

In the follow-up, it was said that Dalton Russell, played by Owen, was scheming another complex robbery. However, this time he encountered Detective Frazier once more. Unfortunately, the movie failed to materialize due to a financial hurdle that Lee couldn’t overcome – a challenge that left him astonished (as reported by UGO and BET).

My top-grossing movie has been ‘Inside Man,’ but unfortunately, a follow-up hasn’t materialized. Despite Hollywood’s knack for churning out sequels, it seems this project won’t see the light of day. We’ve attempted numerous times, but alas, it looks like it’s not in the cards.

It’s quite surprising that, despite having an acclaimed film with top-tier actors eager to reprise their roles, it didn’t manage to get produced. Instead, a direct-to-video sequel titled “Inside Man: Most Wanted” emerged in 2019. However, this sequel did not include the original cast and had minimal ties to the initial release, often being referred to as “Inside Man 2” to capitalize on fan recognition.

With the upcoming Akira Kurosawa remake titled Highest 2 Lowest, Lee and Washington will soon be joining forces again. Although this new crime story might evoke comparisons to Inside Man 2, the anticipated collaboration between these two could rekindle discussions about a potential sequel in the future.

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2025-05-11 05:05