Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington have reunited.
The duo first appeared together when they costarred in Tony Scott’s 2004 movie Man on Fire.
Almost two decades later, they’re reuniting onscreen for the third installment in Washington’s hit series, The Equalizer 3.
While the movie won’t be out until 2023, fans got a glimpse of the two stars together when they posed at a photo call in Italy ahead of production.
In the snaps, 67-year-old Washington and 28-year-old Fanning can be seen grinning with their arms around each other. Their reunion marks a sweet moment for fans, who last saw the pair onscreen together over 18 years ago when Fanning was just a young girl.
The then-child actor played kidnapped nine-year-old Lupita Ramos in Man on Fire, in which Washington’s ex-CIA bodyguard John W. Creasy is tasked with rescuing her.
She confirmed that she’d be reuniting with Washington back in June when she announced that she’d been cast in The Equalizer 3. Per People, the Charlottes Web star took to her Instagram story, writing: “My gratitude to share the screen once again with the legend of all legends is endless. Can’t wait.”
Her sister and fellow actor Elle Fanning also celebrated the news with a message on her own page, calling it: “The reunion to beat all reunions!!!!”
When promoting Man on Fire back in 2004, Fanning and Washington had nothing but praise for one another. Fanning said that her older co-star was her role model, telling IGN: “I want to be like him one day.”
The then-nine-year-old added that he “was so nice and I couldn’t wait to see him every day.”
Washington, too, seemed to have a soft spot for his co-star, who he spoke warmly of and praised for her acting skills.
“She’s a sweetheart, as you’ll see if you’ve talked to her already. She’s a bright young woman and she’s just a joy to be around. You can’t not like her,” he told IGN.
“Dakota is a child, but she is a wonderful actor. And that’s what we were doing together: acting. I don’t know what a ‘child actor’ is. She’s an actor who’s a child,” the Training Day star added.