MGM is moving forward with a new version of the classic Western The Magnificent Seven, led by Heroes and Touch creator Tim Kring. The eight-episode series will air on MGM+ and is scheduled to begin filming in June 2026. A similar project once planned under True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto was dropped by Amazon several years ago. Now, the studio is developing a new approach through the Amazon-owned MGM+ platform.
“Tim Kring is a master storyteller,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “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.”
The title has a long history in Hollywood. John Sturges directed the celebrated 1960 film adaptation, itself inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. That version remains a landmark Western and continues to earn critical respect with high ratings from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. It featured a notable cast including Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and Horst Buchholz. The movie went on to produce several sequels, ending with The Magnificent Seven Ride! in 1972.
Director Antoine Fuqua revisited the story in 2016, assembling a cast that included Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, and Peter Sarsgaard. The film became known for featuring the final score written by composer James Horner before his death, with Simon Franglen completing the music. The production earned mixed reviews but took in about $162 million at the box office against a $90 million budget.
The upcoming show follows the familiar outline of the earlier film, telling the story of a group of hired gunmen in the 1880s American frontier. They are recruited to defend a village after a powerful landowner sends armed men to attack the community. The series aims to explore each of the seven characters in detail, focusing on why they risk their lives for a Quaker community that rejects violence but depends on their protection.
A television version of The Magnificent Seven has been attempted before. CBS aired a short-lived series based on the same concept from 1998 to 2000. The MGM+ release may reach a broader audience, especially among younger viewers unfamiliar with earlier adaptations.
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English (US) · 