‘Sicario’ Meets ‘Lethal Weapon’ in Denzel Washington’s Action Blockbuster Officially Leaving Netflix Soon

2026 has been a quiet year for Denzel Washington, who is starring in fewer projects year after year as he moves into a different stage of his career. Last year, Washington headlined one of the biggest Apple TV movies of the year, Highest 2 Lowest, which was directed by his long-time collaborator Spike Lee. The film was based on the iconic Akira Kurosawa crime thriller, High and Low, and it spent weeks at the top of Apple TV streaming charts before finally giving up ground to newer releases. Back at the end of 2024, Denzel Washington took the place of Russell Crowe in the legacy sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which struggled at the box office under the weight of its $250 million budget. Washington earned Oscar buzz for his performance as Macrinus in the film, though he was never officially recognized.