Any movie that might posses the combined acting talents of Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt is likely to garner quite a lot of attention. But the entire cinematic community is likely to faint in unison when they learn that the pair might star in a remake of The Magnificent Seven together.
MGM are hellbent on bringing a remake of The Magnificent Seven to the silver screen in the very near future. Antoine Fuqua is the man who has been placed in control of the film by the studio and he has now started circling around the actors that he desires. Like the rest of the world, it sounds as if Antonie Fuqua was mightily impressed with Chris Pratt’s leading efforts in Guardians Of The Galaxy. So much so that according to Deadline Antoine Fuqua has decided to enter negotiations with the actor over a role in The Magnificent Seven.This is probably a good move because the charismatic actor’s stock is only set to rise after his performance in next summer’s Jurassic World.
But that’s not all that there is to be excited about regarding MGM’s retooling of The Magnificent Seven. It has also been rumored that Antonie Fuqua is interested in casting Denzel Washington in an unspecified role in the film too. And there’s a good chance that the director will be able to convince the acclaimed actor to join in the adventure. Their previous collaboration for Training Day resulted in Denzel Washington winning the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 74th Academy Awards for his turn as Detective Alonzo Harris. Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt are still in the very early stages of negotiations for the film. But if they do agree to sign on the dotted line then it will help to recreate the legendary cast of the 1960 original.
Of course John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven was actually a remake itself of Akira Kurosawa’s seminal 1954 masterpiece, Seven Samurai. There’s no denying the fact that The Magnificent Seven is an iconic slice of American cinema. However it is also a completely Hollywood-fied incarnation of Kurosawa’s effort. It’s set in the Old-West and replaces the thrilling suspense and ice-cold aura of Seven Samurai with pulsating action that's entertaining but a bit hollow. MGM will have no qualms trying to replicate The Magnificent Seven instead of looking to remake Akira Kurosawa’s engrossing epic though. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto wrote the original draft for the studio, while John Lee Hancock has recently reworked it. There’s no sign of a release date yet. But if Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington confirm, expect it to come sooner rather than later.
