This new movie almost never made it to theaters because of Denzel Washington.

Directors know what they want. Clearly, we ALL know that by now. What I didn’t know was that some directors like Dan Gilroy, for example, make a screenplays solely around a single person sometimes.

And, if that person didn’t agree to playing the role that was created specifically for them, the premise of the entire being of the movie, the director would cease from ever allowing the film to see day. So you see, if Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington would’ve said no to playing Roman Israel in Gilroy’s Roman J. Israel, Esq., this movie would’ve never made it to theaters Gilroy reveals to IMDb. Washington himself was shocked to find out.

It takes a certain special something in an actor or actress to not only bring the screenplay to life as envisioned by its creators, but to turn them into award winning films let alone a classic like Glory and Training Day. Washington has received much acclaim for his films of choice that have won him three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards. An impressive career. Such is the Denzel Washington effect.

It all makes sense as to why Gilroy wouldn’t move forward with the film without him. Thankfully for Gilroy, and us, Washington said yes.

The film centers around lawyer Roman J. Israel who takes over a law firm as a result of his boss suffering from a heart attack. The foundation of his legal practice –up until that point– was helping the impoverished. The plot twist is that he finds unsettling information that details what the law firm had been doing that didn’t align with his very basic values of helping the poor, leading him to an eventual existential crisis leaning towards taking extreme actions.

The film is set to hit theaters starting November 17, 2017.

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