Denzel Washington will be a bad, bad man again in 'Safe House'

Denzel Washington is going to his "bad" side once more with "Safe House."

Credit: AP Photo

In a career that has spanned over two decades, it's remarkable that the closet thing Denzel Washington has ever starred in that's even close to a comedy would be "The Preacher's Wife." Instead, the two-time Oscar winner has lived and died in one action, thriller or dramatic flick after another.  In fact, he's appeared in so many they all sort of blend together.  However, considering the box office might he can lend to the genre, such as "The Book of Eli's" $94 million gross earlier this year, it's not surprising Washington is going to the well once more.

As first reported by NY Mag, Washington is in negotiations to star in "Safe House," a spy thriller written by David Guggenheim.  Swedish director Daniel Espinosa ("Snabba Cash") will direct the tale of a young American intelligence officer who is forced to go on the run with a new prisoner after his South American safe house is attacked.  Washington would play that criminal.  And the actor has successfully mined the bad side before for acclaimed roles in "Training Day" and "American Gangster."

Washington's next film is - surprise - yet another thriller, "Unstoppable."  Co-starring "Star Trek's" Chris Pine, that Tony Scott picture will hit theaters on Nov. 12.

No word on how close "Safe House" is to a start date, but Espinosa is reportedly taking a pass on the well regarded script.