The Magnificent Seven is a 2016 American western action film directed by Antoine Fuqua, and written by Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk. The movie is a remake of the 1960 western film of the same name, which in turn was a remake of the 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai, co-written, edited and directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Here’s some fun facts about the movie!
1.The film premiered on September 8, 2016 at the2016 Toronto International Film Festival and is set to be released in the United States in conventional and IMAX theatres on September 23, 2016.
2.The 2016 film includes film stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier,Haley Bennett and Peter Sarsgaard.
3.Fuqua has loved Western films since he was a young boy, watching them at home with his family.
4.He discovered the genre at the age of 12 and has said that his grandmother was a key influence and inspiration in the remake.
5.The film was reported to be in the planning stages in 2012, with Tom Cruise starring.
6.It was reported that Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, and Matt Damon might also join the film.
7.Fuqua said he wanted to remake the film today because the subject of tyranny and terrorism still prevails as it did in Seven Samurai.
8.According to him, there is a strong need for people to come and serve, which is what samurai means – “to serve.”
9.Fuqua worked to create a diverse cast by incorporating actors of color such as African-American Denzel Washington, Korean Byung-hun Lee and Mexican Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, as well as a woman, Haley Bennett.
10.When Fuqua met studio executives to see the possible actors for the film, he found out that they were all white. He found this to be problematic and wanted instead to make the cast diverse so that the audience could identify with more of the characters.
11.Fuqua never thought of getting a chance to direct a Western film and when MGM called him to helm the picture, at first, he hesitated recalling how amazing Seven Samurai was and it’s director, Kurosawa.
12.The decision wasn’t easy for him citing an example of how many people are unaware that Scarface was a remake from the film of the same name released in 1932.
13.Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke’s second collaboration since Training Day (2001) which was also directed by Antoine Fuqua.
14.It is Denzel Washington’s first western film.
15.It is also Chris Pratt’s first Western movie.
16.At one point, Jason Momoa was in talks to join the project but had had to leave because he was already booked to play Aquaman.
19.James Horner wrote the score for this film based solely on the script and it’s believed he was going to give it as a present the director, Antoine Fuqua, as a gift as they became friends from working together on Southpaw (2015). Due to James’ death however, he never was able to give it to him personally. James died in a plane crash on June 22nd, 2015.
20.It is James Horner’s final composition.
21.Chris Pratt and Vincent D’Onofrio both starred in Jurassic World (2015). Pratt was Owen and Onofrio was Hoskins.
22.O’ Reilly (Charles Bronson) is the last of the Magnificent Seven to die. O’ Reilly’s counterpart in Shichinin no samurai is the first of the Seven to be killed.
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