Hold onto your saddles and dig in your spurs, Western fans, because an iconic movie is being reimagined as a TV show for MGM+. Released in 1960, The Magnificent Seven is widely regarded as one of the best Westerns ever made, and now the Amazon-owned streaming service is set to put a new spin on the classic tale with an eight-episode series.
Variety reports that this new iteration of The Magnificent Seven hails from Heroes creator Tim Kring, who will also serve as executive producer along with Donald De Line (Billy the Kid, Foster Dade), Lawrence Mirisch and Bruce Kaufman. Production is slated to get underway next year, and though it was previously announced that a small screen adaptation was in the works from True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto, he's no longer attached to the project.
"Tim Kring is a master storyteller," said head of MGM+, Michael Wright, in a statement released to coincide with the news. He adds: "Tim, Donald De Line, Larry Mirisch, and Bruce Kaufman have crafted a series that delivers the energy of a classic Western, honors the legacy of the original film, and reasserts its timeless themes of the power of unity against oppression and flawed heroes finding redemption by helping those who can’t help themselves."
Released on October 12, 1960, The Magnificent Seven starred the likes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn, and Horst Buchholz. Casting for the TV series has yet to be announced, but you can check out the synopsis below:
"Set in the 1880s American frontier, The Magnificent Seven follows a group of mercenaries who are hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by a land baron’s hired guns. As the flawed but gifted mercenaries embed with the Quakers, they must grapple with the question of whether it is acceptable to use violence to defend a people whose faith is based on nonviolence. The series will explore each member of the Seven, exploring what's at stake and why they chose to take on this mission."
This Isn't the First Time 'The Magnificent Seven' Has Been Reimagined as a TV Series
Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Yul Brynner in The Magnificent Seven
United Artists
Boasting a Certified Fresh rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Magnificent Seven has been called by critics everything from "one of the greatest Westerns ever made in cinematic history," to an "entertaining film with engaging action and performances." Serving as a remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic, Seven Samurai, this isn't the first time The Magnificent Seven has been reimagined as a TV series.
Western fans will remember that, way back in 1998, a TV remake debuted that featured the likes of Michael Biehn, Eric Close, Ron Perlman, and Robert Vaughn, who also starred in the 1960 original. Airing on CBS, the show lasted for two seasons and earned a loyal cult following before it was canceled due to poor ratings.
Hopefully this new version for MGM+ will find greater success. Though it's been billed as an eight-episode series, there's always the possibility for more if the numbers are there to back it up. We'll have more news on The Magnificent Seven, including casting announcements, as it becomes available.
