After so much inactivity on the project it seems that The Equalizer is racing ahead with a new purpose. In March Antoine Fuqua was mentioned as being interested in directing The Equalizer and Denzel Washington was still on for the leading role, and now we're hearing word of the leading lady for the film version as well as some news that's going to keep The Equalizer going for longer than just one film.

It seems that there's a deal for a book based on the character and it's not a novel version of the film as so many film-book deals tend to be, this is going to be an original story and, if The Equalizer film succeeds, might just help spawn a sequel.

The Equalizer has been languishing for some time but Denzel Washington has remained associated with the project for a very long time. Recently we heard that Antoine Fuqua was coming on board to direct the film and it seemed a great match up, if the script was there to back them up, a task that falls in the lap of Richard Wenk and his writing.

News through Deadline tells us that there's another potential cast member who has surprised those involved after a reading with Denzel Washington to see how the two got on. The surprise is that the female character was intended to be an older one but when Chloë Grace Moretz read with Washington the article says everyone was impressed.

Well now she's being touted as the female lead and apparently they are rewriting the script to have the female role as a much younger one to include the actress. Apparently they want to rewrite the role as a young prostitute and mention comparisons to Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, something I can only hope is down to the article and not the production itself.

I think it sounds great news for the film, not only has it gained a strong director but it also has a strong writer. They both are known for action films although both have delivered action films that also present a strong character story in there too so let's hope that's where The Equalizer leans to.

Along with the news of the female casting comes some news that might help the studio's hopes of this becoming a franchise - mind you when is a studio not producing a film and announcing they hope it becomes a franchise?

There's a book deal for The Equalizer too but not from the film or the film's writer, in fact it comes from the creator of the original television series Michael Sloan, and I find that really surprising. You would have thought that the book deal would have flown off the back of the film but instead the original television series writer has been snapped up, perhaps to bring the original character back to life knowing the film version will radically change him.

The book is due out next year and, if it doesn't turn too far from the upcoming film or the film doesn't turn too far from the original character, then we may see it become part of the franchise that the studio really want.

Either way the news is more positive for The Equalizer film than it has been in a very long time.