Hollywood Star Shoots Scene with Horses in Hamilton

Denzel Washington was in Hamilton on Tuesday to shoot a scene involving horses for an action movie.

The Equalizer has been shot in Massachusetts since June, including at a former Lowe’s store in Haverhill, according to The Eagle Tribune, and at a home in Swampscott, according to Swampscott Patch.

Tuesday was the first day shooting in Hamilton and Washington and the crew is expected to return on Wednesday, said Cid Swank, the film’s publicist.

The filming happened at the Winthrop estate and Groton House Farm off Highland Street. The set was not visible from the street and closed to the public, Swank said.

Groton House Farm posted on its Facebook page that Tuesday was a “big day” for some of its “ponies.”

“They were part of a movie scene, got some pats from Denzel Washington and at the end of the day some crew members came down and fed them apples and carrots,” the Facebook post said.

Filming will continue in the greater Boston area through September and the movie is scheduled for release in September 2014.

Washington plays a character named McCall, a former black ops commando who has faked his death to live a quiet life in Boston, according to a synopsis of the movie from Sony Pictures.

It is directed by Antoine Fuqua and is loosely based on a 1980s television series by the same name.

“When he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to rescue a young girl, Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), he finds himself face to face with ultra-violent Russian gangsters,” according to the synopsis. “As he serves vengeance against those who brutalize the helpless, McCall’s desire for justice is reawakened; If someone has a problem, the odds are stacked against them, and they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help.”