Nicolas Winding Refn in Talks to Direct Denzel Washington as "The Equalizer"

Sony is now in talks with "Drive" director Nicolas Winding Refn for "The Equalizer," a remake of the classic 1980s TV series, with Denzel Washington in the leading role.

The film will revolve around Robert McCall, a covert intelligence agent who switches tacks and starts working as a private eye. The original role was played by Edward Woodward for the show's run from 1985-1989.

Sony vetted a number of directors this past August, but Refn won out. The young Danish director is also getting ready to release his crime drama "Only God Forgives" starring Ryan Gosling, slated to come out in theaters this coming May.

The screenplay for "Equalizer" was written by Richard Wenk, who also wrote the script for "The Expendables 2." Sony is intent on shooting as early as the spring of 2013, and has given the project a release date of April 2014.