Chloe Moretz has been offered the female lead in The Equalizer for Sony Pictures and director Antoine Fuqua.

Denzel Washington is attached to star as the title character Robert McCall, a former covert operative who now devotes his life to helping others battle injustice. Chloe Moretz will play the co-lead Teri, a young prostitute who was originally written for an actress in her 20s.

After Chloe Moretz impressed Denzel Washington at a chemistry read, the offer was made to the young actress, and the role will be reworked to suit her age. The character has been drawing comparisons to Jodie Foster's young streetwalker in the 1976 classic Taxi Driver.

Antoine Fuqua is directing from a screenplay by Richard Wenk (16 Blocks), based on the CBS TV series of the same name, which starred Edward Woodward as Robert McCall. No production schedule has been given.

In related news, author Michael Sloan, who wrote the novels that the CBS series was based on, has signed a deal with Thomas Dunne Books to write a fresh novel series that continues Robert McCall's adventures. The first book will be published sometime in 2014.