My Favorite Westerns

Tag: Steve McQueen

  • The Magnificent 7 Update 2 … project revived ??

    Britt (Coburn): “Nobody throws me my own guns and says run. Nobody.”

    From:

    The Playlist

    ‘Magnificent Seven’ Remake Continues With New Writer, But Loses Tom Cruise

    http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/magnificent-seven-remake-continues-with-new-writer-but-loses-tom-cruise-20131226?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    BY KEVIN JAGERNAUTH
    DECEMBER 26, 2013 10:00 AM

    MGM are leaving no stone unturned in their catalogue when it comes to remakes. With “Robocop” and “Poltergeist” on the way for 2014, and “Road House,” “Death Wish,” “WarGames,” “The Idolmaker,” “Ben-Hur” and more all in development, the name of game seems to reboots over original material. And that brings us to the classic western “The Magnificent Seven.” In the works for a couple years now, the project gained some serious steam when Tom Cruise put his name to it in 2012, with a writer added over this past summer. But heading into 2014, the redo will need to find another star as a screenplay gets more work.

    The Wrap reports that John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side,” “Saving Mr. Banks”) has been brought in to re-write the first draft of the script by Nic Pizzolatto (“True Detective”). For now, it’s just a writing gig for Hancock who has no plans to direct, but with credits to his name including “The Alamo,” “Snow White & The Huntsman” and next year’s “Maleficent,” he knows his way around spectacle. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise has exited the project mostly because his plate is currently full with about five zillion other movies on the go, so he could probably do with one less.

    So the remake machine continues on this project, and we’ll ask you this: who do you think can direct or star in this movie and at least attempt to do justice to the original?

    __________________________________________________

    My Favorite Westerns: 

    I’ve already posted my own fantasy cast which I will boldly match up against anybody else’s projections.
    Except for Tom Cruise, of course, who has now bailed out. This leaves a VERY large hole – as casting Yul Brynner’s former role was the biggest challenge of them all.

    My Favorite Westerns casting for The Magnificent Seven / Remake:

    Yul Brynner … TOM CRUISE

    Brynner - Cruise

    Steve McQueen … VIGGO MORTENSEN

    Steve McQueen - Viggo Mortenson

    James Coburn … GUY PEARCE

    James Coburn - Guy Pearce

    Charles Bronson … WILLEN DAFOE

    Charles Bronson - Willem Dafoe

    Robert Vaughn … BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

    Vaughn - Cumberbach

     Brad Dexter … BRENDAN FRASER

    Brad Dexter - Brendan Fraser

    Horst Buchholz … AARON PAUL

    Horst Buchholz - Aaron Paul

    Eli Wallach … ANTONIO BANDERAS

    Eli Wallach - Antonio Banderas

    O’Reilly (Bronson): “I admire your notion of fair odds, mister.”

     

  • The Magnificent 7 Update … project in jeopardy

    From: 

    express_logo

    By: Mike Parker

    Published: Sun, December 29, 201

    http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/450888/Tom-Cruise-shoots-down-Magnificent-Seven-remake

    Tom Cruise shoots down Magnificent Seven remake

    TOM CRUISE’s departure from a planned remake of the star-studded western has put the project back to square one

    CLASSIC The original 1960 cast

    HOLLYWOOD studio MGM has “called in the cavalry” to rescue a planned remake of classic 1960 western The Magnificent Seven after Tom Cruise stunned producers by quitting.

    Cruise, 51, blamed a personal “scheduling conflict” for his departure more than six months after agreeing to a lead role.

    As he rode off into the sunset, studio bosses hired John Lee Hancock, who directed current box-office hit Saving Mr Banks, to re-write what was seen as a troubled script.

    The turmoil comes at the end of a year in which the original Magnificent Seven was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of America’s Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. It starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz.

    Yesterday a senior MGM source said: “Tom’s departure has thrown a real wrench in the wagon wheel.

    “He was the only one of the seven we had cast and would obviously have helped draw other A-list stars into the project.

    “Now it’s a case of going right back to square one in terms of casting and having John Lee Hancock re-write the script from top to bottom. You might say he’s leading our cavalry on a rescue mission.

    “We’re hoping that once John Lee has completed a first draft of a new script, we will be firmly back on track and in a position to attract some of Hollywood’s best-known actors.”

    Hancock, a hugely respected Hollywood figure, is no stranger to the genre, having directed 2004’s Disney remake of another 1960 western classic, The Alamo.

    Even before Cruise backed out, studio bosses had become concerned about committing a reported £100million-plus to the film. They saw rival Disney take a financial hit earlier this year as an equally costly remake of The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp as Tonto, flopped.

    Los Angeles-based media analyst Mike Raia insisted yesterday: “I believe the western can survive and even thrive as a genre.

    “However, the onus is on the filmmakers to make their modern versions resonate with today’s younger audiences as well as older fans.”

     

6 responses to “The Magnificent 7 Update 2 … project revived ??”

  1. My favorite classic 1960 – The Magnificent Seven | Freddie Flix

    […] The Magnificent 7 Update 2 … project revived ?? […]

  2. timneath Avatar
    timneath

    This send shivers down my spine. I knew MGM had a few remakes up their sleeves recently, but there seems to be no stopping them. Especially in their 90th year, they should be celebrating their back catalogue not beginning to mess it up like this. Its a sign that Hollywood is getting stale, looking at the past for future projects instead of taking risks with new material. I know they want a big return, which is fair enough, that doesn’t make it a classic, treadind over the past classics in the process.

    1. jcalberta Avatar
      jcalberta

      Good points.

      Classic Movies do inspire you though. I hope. But how many remakes are inspired? by anything other than making money?

      But I still wouldn’t be surprised if there hadn’t been 2 or 3 people just waiting for Cruise to throw this project down – so they could snap it up. Interest is high. But the more I look at it, it seems like such a impossible task – especially after the colossal financial failure of The Lone Ranger – Producers must be very leery of a Western remake. And just look at what the casting alone might cost you? as you will most likely need Stars to pull this thing off.

      ??

      I believe Western fans are interested, but It’s really hard to figure if this thing will ever get off the ground.

      1. timneath Avatar
        timneath

        I know with cruise on board they would be onto something big.
        The Lone Ranger did break even, which today is seen as a failure sadly. Profit above all else. I’m just really saddened that a classic such as this is being remade.
        There would be a lot of big names up for the parts, like your suggestions. It maybe a very slow burner.

  3. Marilyn Armstrong Avatar
    Marilyn Armstrong

    Why remake something that is just fine? Why not make something new and different? But I always ask that question about remakes. And I never get an answer.

    1. jcalberta Avatar
      jcalberta

      Agreed. As I say, if it was an INSPIRED remake that could somehow take this story further – or pay homage to it somehow – without just exploiting it – I wouldn’t object. I have to accept Cruises reasons for leaving that’s he’s just busy elsewhere, but this project looks so difficult. Apart from casting you need great writing. Very hard to pull it off.
      But I’ve been wrong before. Lots of times.

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