Comic-Con: Denzel Washington Arrives for The Book of Eli

We posted the first teaser trailer yesterday for the new Denzel Washington movie The Book of Eli. Directed by the Hughes brothers, Eli takes place in the near future where Washington has to survive a cross country trek while protecting a book that could save all of mankind. Washington, along with co-stars Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis, attended the Hall H panel yesterday morning. Washington brought an energy to Hall H which really was missing from Thursday’s panel. The charismatic actor really entertained the audience by being humorous, humble, and genuine. I have an appreciation for an actor like Denzel Washington. You can tell he really cares about the projects he takes on and the individuals he works with. Also in attendance were Allan and Albert Hughes, the directors of Eli, who have previously brought us Dead Presidents and From Hell, among many other films.

According to the cast The Book of Eli takes place thirty years in the future after the end of a major war. The Hughes brothers describes the character of Eli, “as a man on a mission no matter what.” They go onto say, “he is singular in that focus. So don’t get in his way.”

How was it for these actors to all work together? When asked how Denzel and co-star Gary Oldman enjoyed their time together, Washington compared their on-screen relationship as “good sex.” Clearly Washington brought the charisma with him and the audience enjoyed every minute of it.

Washington was the main focus of this panel. His role in Eli made him a huge star at this years convention. It is nice to see the Hughes brothers back to work and I look forward to seeing more from this movie over the coming months. Check out The Book of Eli when it hits theaters January 2010.