'The Magnificent Seven' (2016)

[Walts Ghost]

Antoine Fuqua Eyed for ‘Equalizer 2′, ‘Magnificent Seven’, and ‘Narco Sub’

MGM’s The Magnificent Seven is zeroing in on a director. Antoine Fuqua has reportedly been offered the Western remake, written by True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto.

Which is pretty good news for Fuqua in itself, but that’s not all. He’s apparently also eyeing the former Tony Scott project Narco Sub at Fox, and The Equalizer 2 at Sony. Hit the jump for the latest on all three potential projects.

THR got the scoop. While Fuqua’s latest project, The Equalizer, hasn’t quite hit theaters yet, Sony is so excited about it they’re already planning the sequel. They’ve already got Richard Wenk back on board to script, and they’re hoping to get Fuqua to return, too. The nascent franchise stars Denzel Washington as a former special ops agent who helps people in need.

Meanwhile, Fox wants him for Narco Sub, which has been also been linked to Joe Carnahan and Doug Liman since Scott’s passing. David Guggenheim‘s script centers around an Ecuadorian cartel leader who forces an American naval officer to smuggle cocaine into the U.S.

Finally, there’s Magnificent Seven, which once had Tom Cruise attached to star. He’s apparently since departed the project, but the studio is now trying to get Brad Pitt on board instead. Like the original, which was directed by John Sturges, it’ll follow a group of gunslingers who join forces to defend a small town.

Whichever project Fuqua decides on, though, it’ll likely be a while before it hits theaters. He’s already set to make the boxing drama Southpaw as his next directorial effort. Each of the three projects mentioned above is considered high-priority by its respective studio, so they won’t want to wait forever.

Fuqua’s last release was the Die Hard-esque Olympus Has Fallen, which did well enough to earn a sequel. Fuqua is not directing that one, though stars Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart are expected to return.

Slashfilm

Denzel Washington Rumored for Lead in 'Magnificent Seven' Remake

The remake train keeps on plugging away for better or worse. We've heard that there was a gestating remake of the classic The Magnificent Seven, which in itself is a remake of Seven Samurai, and Tom Cruise was attached back in 2012. However, it sounds like the actor has since moved on, because The Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua has been mulling over an offer from MGM to direct the film. It's not clear if he's officially on board, but Schmoes Know reports that he's already taken the job, and he's already trying to get Denzel Washington on board to lead. It makes sense following their work on Training Day and The Equalizer.

This is just one in a long line of remakes for MGM following Red Dawn and RoboCop, not to mention Poltergeist and Road House on the way. The Magnificent Seven would be new territory for both Fuqua and Washington, who haven't ventured into straight-up western territory before, so that sounds pretty promising. We're inclined to believe this rumor because Schmoes Know turned out to be right on the money when it comes to Tom Hardy being lined up to join Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant, so they've clearly got some sort of good inside source. But the question remains as to whether or not Washington will be interested. The good news is the script originally comes from Nic Pozzolatto of "True Detective" with a rewrite from John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks), so this sounds like a solid collaboration all around.

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