With many months to go before it even hits theaters, The Equalizer is expected to spawn a sequel.

TheWrap reports Richard Wenk, writer of the fall-debuting action movie, has been hired by Sony to work on a sequel to the Denzel Washington thriller. According to the report, Sony's decision was fueled by recent test screenings that have gone "through the roof" with positive feedback.

"A mid-December test screening reportedly earned the highest scores for an R-rated movie in the studio's history," the outlet reports.

The one rub is that Washington's contact for The Equalizer does not include an option for a sequel, although he's nevertheless expected to return.

Opening Sept. 26, The Equalizer stars Washington as a former black-ops operative who fakes his death as a means of quiet retirement. He's lured back into action to save a young sex worker (Chloe Moretz) from Russian gangsters.