Denzel Washington is Roman J. Israel in first look at the Dan Gilroy film

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

After Dan Gilroy's NIGHTCRAWLER absolutely blew me away, thanks in large part to Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as the unnerving yet charming sociopath Louis Bloom, I've been anxiously awaiting Gilroy's follow-up, ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. Set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system, the legal thriller stars Denzel Washington as Roman J. Israel, who finds his life upended when a turbulent series of events challenge the activism that has defined his career. Colin Farrell co-stars as the ambitious, money-hungry lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm.

Combined with the announcement that ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ will be making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival comes several photos which give us a good look at the title character.

There are briefcases, and then there are briefcases. My goodness. How many fantastic beasts can you fit in there? In a statement, ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. writer/director Dan Gilroy said that "We always hoped to premiere at Toronto and couldn’t be happier that TIFF audiences will be the first to see the film." Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival, added:

The Toronto International Film Festival has a wonderful history with both Dan Gilroy and Denzel Washington. Three years ago TIFF had the honour of premiering Gilroy’s directorial debut, Nightcrawler, at the festival. In addition to previously screening The Equalizer and presenting the world premiere of Training Day, which earned Washington an Oscar for Best Actor, the Washington-starring The Magnificent Seven was our Opening Night film last year. A project that teams up both of these remarkable creators is one not to be missed.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7-17, and, as always, our own Chris Bumbray will be onsite to offer up a bevy of reviews. Prepare yourself! ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. is set for a November 3, 2017 release, after which our next big Denzel Washington feature will be a sequel to THE EQUALIZER on September 14, 2018.