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.
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.
I am torn about this, I love the original and the only really good sequel was Guns of The Magnificent Seven, the other 2 films were watchable just not as good. The TV series was fun and it had a great cast with good chemistry. This has potential if done properly with respect to the original and is well cast.
Anyone remember this rumor about Matt Damon, Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman joining Tom Cruise on The Magnificent Seven remake?
Then Tom Cruise left, claiming scheduling conflicts, but supposedly the script was in serious trouble at the time. I assume they've thrown it out by now and started over.
Touché. However, I am not opposed to remakes. You have to draw the line somewhere. If I had an avatar from the Nicole Kidman version, then I could see the point being a bit more valid.
Sure, I might Redbox this and like it but - and this is the truly horrifying part - I might not like it. That might not sound like a big deal but a dollar-fifty here and a dollar-fifty there and pretty soon we're talking about nine dollars. Closer to ten with tax.
Chris Pratt in Talks to Join Antoine Fuqua’s THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Remake Starring Denzel Washington
Chris Pratt became a movie star this year, and now his name is a major deal when it becomes attached to any project (not that it wasn’t before, but for studios, it comes with a bigger, well-deserved asking price). Assuming Jurassic World is a hit, he could become an even bigger star with two successful franchises (three if you count The LEGO Movie), but if that film flops at the box office or he loses some momentum (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 isn’t due out until 2017), that could mean fewer opportunities.
So the savvy move is to get plenty of projects while he can, and he’s already signed on to star in the adaptation of the comic book Cowboy Ninja Viking. Now it looks like he’s taken a shine to the “cowboy” part, because he’s in talks to join Denzel Washington in Antoine Fuqua‘s remake of The Magnificent Seven.
For those unfamiliar with John Sturges‘ 1960 western, it’s a remake of Akira Kurosawa‘s classic 1954 film Seven Samurai, which is about a group of samurai who are hired to protect a small village from bandits. Samurais and cowboys are easily interchangeable since they’re both skilled with a specific weapon, operate on a closing frontier, and adhere to a code, so it was an easy translation, and while Seven Samurai is one of the greatest films of all-time, The Magnificent Seven stands on its own. It also has a powerhouse cast that includes Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn.
According to Deadline, Pratt’s character, Farraday, isn’t specifically modeled on any of the characters from the original, and I assume that also has something to do with Fuqua’s take on the material. I doubt he’ll do a simple 1-to-1 retread, but if Pratt signs on and joins Washington, it’s a sign that the film is attracting a strong cast, and I’m excited to see who else they’ll get.
James Horner Secretly Scored The Magnificent Seven Remake
BY SILAS LESNICK ON JULY 20, 2015
The late James Horner secretly wrote a score for Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven!
The world lost a Hollywood legend last month when a plane crash took the life of composer James Horner, responsible for scoring films such as Titanic, Aliens, Apollo 13 and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, among many others. There’s some incredible news today, however, regarding what appears to be Horner’s very last score as director Antoine Fuqua revealed today to NPR (via Movies.com) that, in addition to scoring his latest, Southpaw, Horner secretly composed a score for Fuqua’s upcoming remake of The Magnificent Seven as well.
“I just found out a few days ago,” Fuqua says, “[Horner’s] team flew out here, to Baton Rouge, and they brought me all the music for ‘The Magnificent Seven’. He already wrote it for me based on the script. He did it all off the script because he wanted to surprise me. I thought it was a gift or something. And they all came out here and said, ‘Antoine, James wrote the music for ‘Magnificent Seven’ already and it’s just glorious.'”
Originally drafted by “True Detective” scribe Nic Pizzolatto (since rewritten by The Blind Side‘s John Lee Hancock), The Magnificent Seven will star Ethan Hawke, Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio, Haley Bennett, Byung Hun Lee, Jason Momoa, Matt Bomer, Peter Sarsgaard and Billy Slaughter in a remake the 1960 film directed by John Sturges that itself was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai. Sturges’ version starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn as a group of disparate gunmen who come together to protect a Mexican village from bandits led by Eli Wallach. The new film is said to feature a victimized mining town, taken over by a gold baron (Sarsgaard), rather than the Mexican village of the original.
“James was an incredible human being,” Fuqua recalls in the original interview, which you can listen to in the player below. “He was a filmmaker through and through. He was one of the most gentle people I’ve ever met. Even the way he spoke was very soft and thoughtful. He was magical. He had this childlike wonderment in his eyes, but he was an amazing artist, an amazing poet. I loved him and we became friends.”
The Magnificent Seven is slated for a January 13, 2017 release while Southpaw arrives in theaters this Friday, July 24.
Wow...extremely cool news if true. I hope they'll hire a good composer to adapt whatever Horner wrote for the film (and they'll give a dedication to Horner for going above and beyond before the film was even shot).
Simon Franglen, who worked with the late James Horner on several of his later works, is going to be scoring the Magnificent Seven remake utilizing the thematic material that Horner has already completed prior to his death.
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'The Magnificent Seven' (2016)
Awesome news!
I really hope they do use it though, even if they need to make some tweaks here and there.
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