True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto is going from dark alleyways to purple mountains majesty to write and executive produce The Magnificent Seven series reboot at Amazon Studios. Earlier this month, Amazon announced it would reboot several MGM properties under the Amazon Studios banner, including Robocop, Legally Blonde, Barbershop, Stargate, and more. Another title on the list is The Magnificent Seven, which Pizzolatto is saddling up to ride.
Initially, Pizzolatto wanted to make an original Western drama series for Amazon Studios. The project would have followed a former outlaw on a mission, assembling a gang while confronting his past as he and his partners stumble into trouble along their odyssey. As talks evolved, The Magnificent Seven series reboot entered the discussion. Amazon wants top talent working on its well-known Western property, and Pizzolatto is well acquainted with the property after writing the 2016 reboot.
Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), who agreed to partner with Pizzolatto for his original Western drama, remains attached to The Magnificent Seven reboot as an executive producer.
Here’s the official description for The Magnificent Seven series reboot:
In the tradition of the great epics from the golden age of Westerns, an outlaw and his cohorts must unite a disparate band of indelible fighters to defend a settlement of immigrant homesteaders in an open-range war against cattle barons in central Texas, telling an expansive saga of adventure, action, and romance.
The Magnificent Seven reboot is inspired by John Sturges’ 1960 Western, starring Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, and Charles Bronson. Sturges’ film itself is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. The 1960 reboot is considered a classic among Western fans. Sturges’ remake rustled up three sequels, a remake, and a TV series.
What do you think about Pizzolatto taking the reins for a reboot of The Magnificent Seven? Who would you assign as the core cast? Westerns always stay in style, especially with American audiences. It will be interesting to see Pizzolatto’s style applied to another beloved genre where shady characters run rampant, and heroes are often as complicated as the past they hope to run from.