Remakes are still all the rage, but summer 2016 has sure been a kick in the teeth for blockbusters, requels, and all kinds of branded I.P. Many of them have grossly underperformed, but it’s pretty much too late for the remaining studios to change course. So Sony and MGM are banking on “The Magnificent Seven,” a remake of the 1960 Western by director John Sturges that stars Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, and Horst Buchholz (which of course in itself was a remake of “Seven Samurai”). Although it’s not coming out in the crowded summer months, it does feel like a summer film so perhaps this is some kind of counter-programming on the studio’s part.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt, it’ll be interesting to see how this new modern Western performs. “Django Unchained” was a huge hit, but it might have been an outlier because of Leonardo DiCaprio. Recent mainstream westerns like Tarantino’s own “The Hateful Eight, “Cowboys and Aliens” and “Jane Got A Gun” really fell short of expectations. Perhaps this remake can be the standout among recent Westerns. The bonus, however? The action drama’s been co-written by Nic Pizzolatto, the creator of “True Detective.” Here’s the official synopsis:
Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ and Columbia Pictures’ The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
Co-starring Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Manuel Garcia Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, Matt Bomer and Peter Sarsgaard, “The Magnificent Seven” was originally scheduled for January 2017, but now gallops into theaters and IMAX on September 23rd. That date probably means the Western should be a strong contender if not a sure bet for the Toronto International Film Festival. Check out the domestic and international trailers for the film below.
