Matt Dillon is set to lead an upcoming “Magnificent Seven” remake series at MGM+, Variety has confirmed. Dillon - a great actor -will play Chris Adams, the role originated by Yul Brynner in the original 1960 film. Production is set to begin in June 2026.
The classic story goes that seven gunmen come together to protect a town from marauding thieves who have invaded and taken ownership of it. You know the rest. The setup is recognizable because it has been done many times in movies.
In fact, the 1960 ‘Seven’ story was heavily inspired by Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai.” I’d rather we forget Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” ever existed — released in 2016 to mixed reviews. Why even attempt to remake the much-celebrated original with its pristine Elmer Bernstein score and John Sturges’ crisp direction? Recreating excellence is not a Hollywood specialty.
Fuqua’s take on ‘Magnificent Seven’ featured Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Peter Sarsgaard, but the action was unrelenting, and the narrative often felt disjointed. The film’s lukewarm reception has even prompted Fuqua to threaten us with the possible release of a sprawling 5-hour director’s cut.