The Magnificent Seven Is Getting Another Reboot From A Top-Tier TV Writer
Nic Pizzolatto from True Detective will lead the TV reboot of The Magnificent Seven.
The Magnificent Seven is getting the series treatment at Amazon Prime Video. The project is the brainchild of True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto who was initially tasked with creating an original series for the streamer. That story was set to follow a former outlaw who assembles a gang while facing a threat from his past, but the idea was reworked into a reboot of the classic Western tale.
According to Variety, the new Magnificent Seven series will be created in “the tradition of the great epics from the golden age of Westerns.” The story will follow an outlaw who unites with his cohorts to defend a settlement of immigrant homesteaders. This leads to an “open range war against cattle barons in central Texas, telling an expansive saga of adventure, action, and romance.”
Nic Pizzolatto will pen the series while serving as executive producer alongside Mark Johnson, Lawrence Mirisch, and Bruce Kaufman. The Magnificent Seven reboot follows Amazon Prime’s acquisition of MGM Studios in 2022. Since then, the studio has been developing projects based on IP from the deal, including Robocop and Barbershop.
The original Magnificent Seven movie was released in 1960. Directed by John Sturges, the story is based on the 1954 Japanese epic Seven Samurai by filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. The plot revolves around a group of seven gunfighters who are hired to defend a Mexican village against a group of bandits who raid and steal from its people.
The movie is known for its iconic cast, which includes Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz. Their performances were widely praised, as was the film’s score by Elmer Bernstein. The Magnificent Seven also was a box office success and is considered a classic of the Western genre.
It inspired adaptations and sequels, including a 2016 remake starring Chris Pratt.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua from a script by Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk, the story stays faithful to the original. The Magnificent Seven follows a group of seven gunfighters who are hired to protect a small town from a ruthless industrialist who terrorizes its residents. Denzel Washington plays Sam Chisolm, a warrant officer, and skilled marksman who is tasked with protecting the town.
Chris Pratt portrayed Josh Faraday, a charismatic gambler and sharpshooter who joins Chisolm’s team. Other members of the group include Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). The movie was praised for its strong ensemble cast, with particular praise for Washington’s performance.
The action sequences and cinematography in The Magnificent Seven were hailed as the film earned $162.4 million at the global box office. But while audiences love it, the movie received a lukewarm reception from critics who said it lacked originality.
Still, the 2016 version of The Magnificent Seven remains a popular Western film among fans. It also has helped introduce a new generation of viewers to the classic story. The film currently holds a 63 percent approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
It will be interesting to see how the series is received.
