Despite being some of the biggest movie stars on the planet,Denzel WashingtonandBruce Willisonly collaborated once in the late 90s, with their film being the center of a major controversy.The Siegewas the first and only film the two did together, with each having massive hits both before and after they finally appeared in a movie together. Their films have endured for decades, and will continue to do so.
Denzel Washington has a particularlystrong filmography in the ’90s, withMalcolm X,Philadelphia,He Got Game, andMuch Ado About Nothing. Bruce Willis was considered one of thebest action stars of all timein that decade, starring in films like theDie Hardfranchise,The Fifth Element, andArmageddon. When they finally collaborated onThe Siege, it failed to live up to the lofty heights of the two star’s other films, with the most talked about aspect of the movie revolving around controversy.
The Siege Was Bruce Willis & Denzel Washington’s Only Movie Together
There Really Should Have Been More
Despite being some of the biggest action stars on the planet, and at the same time,Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington only made one movie together, with neither reuniting after that.The Siegewas released on June 06, 2025, featuring both Washington and Willis starring alongside Annette Bening (Being Julia) and Tony Shalhoub (Galaxy Quest). The film was an action thriller directed by Edward Zwick, who is known for his films likeGlory,Legends of the Fall,The Last Samurai, andBlood Diamond.
Denzel Washington and Edward Zwick collaborated together onGloryandCourage Under Fireprior toThe Siege.
Even with a significant amount of talent both in front of the film and behind,The Siegereceived relatively weak reviews and failed at the box office, making only $75 million against a budget of $70 million. The film’s narrative explores a fictional scenario in which various terrorist groups conduct several attacks on New York City. It’s a shame that the only film featuring both Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis failed to live up to lofty expectations, with the only legacy it left behind was some controversial reception revolving around the film’s story.
Why The Siege Was So Controversial
The Thriller Was Accused Of Reinforcing Dangerous Stereotypes
Upon its initial release,The Siegewas quickly met with controversy about the Arab terrorist depictions in the film, which was released just five years after the bombing of the World Trade Center by Al-Qaeda. In fact, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee came out against the film when it was released withHussein Ibish saying,“The Siege is extremely offensive. It’s beyond offensive. We’re used to offensive, that’s become a daily thing. This is actually dangerous,“as it actually"reinforced stereotypes that lead to hate crimes.”
Denzel Washington Hasn’t Watched The Entirety Of All His Movies, Including His 1992 Oscar-Nominated Performance
Denzel Washington reveals that he has never watched any of his own movies in their entirety, even including some of his most well-regarded work.
A1998 CNN reportdiscusses Edward Zwick’s feelings on the controversy, with him saying,“There have been bombings by extremists. They are not representatives of Islam, they’re not representative of the vast majority of people who love this country, but nonetheless, they exist. The response to that is what I am interested in.“Zwick went on to talk about meeting with the Council on American-Islamic Relations with just a few weeks left of filming to discuss changing the premise of the film, which Zwick said they were unwilling to do, moving forward with the planned story inThe Siege.
The Siege
Cast
The Siege is a thriller focused on an FBI senior agent and his team as they respond to a series of terrorist attacks in New York. Alongside a rogue Army General and a dubious CIA agent, the team must dismantle enemy cells linked to the abduction of a suspected terrorist.
