Principal photography began on May 18, 2015, in the north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Magnificent Seven premiered on September 8, 2016 at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the United States on September 23, 2016, in conventional and IMAX theatres.[6] The film received mixed reviews from critics, although the cast was praised, and has grossed over $41 million worldwide.[7]
Plot
In 1879, corrupt industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) besieges the mining town of Rose Creek, and slaughters a group of locals led by Matthew Cullen (Matt Bomer) when they attempt to stand up to him. Matthew's wife, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), and her friend, Teddy Q (Luke Grimes), ride to the nearest town in search of someone who can help them and come upon bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), who initially declines their proposal until he learns of Bogue's involvement.
Chisolm sets out to recruit a group of gunslingers who can help him, starting with gambler Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt). They are later joined by sharpshooter Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), knife-wielding assassin Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), skilled tracker Jack Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio), Comanche warrior Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier) and notorious Mexican outlaw Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo).
Arriving in Rose Creek, the seven engage in a gunfight with Bogue's enforcer McCann (Cam Gigandet) and his men and drive them away with a warning to leave Rose Creek alone. Surmising that Bogue and his forces will return in a week, the seven and Cullen train the townspeople to defend their home and grow fond of them. Robicheaux, haunted by the horrors of the Civil War and fearing that the locals will be massacred, abandons the group and is replaced by Cullen.
Bogue arrives with his forces and attacks the city, but the bandits are ambushed by the townspeople, leading to a shootout during which Robicheaux rejoins the group, McCann is killed by Vasquez, and Horne is killed by Bogue's Comanche assassin Denali (Jonathan Joss), who is later killed by Red Harvest. Bogue then unveils his secret weapon, a Gatling gun, with which he kills numerous innocents. Realizing they're outgunned, the seven drive the townspeople away and mount their last stand.
Robicheaux and Rocks are killed by a second round of gunfire as Faraday sacrifices himself to destroy the Gatling gun and the rest of Bogue's men, riding up to them in a final charge and then detonating a stick of dynamite right next to the gun. Bogue flees into town, where he is confronted by Chisolm, who reveals that Bogue and his men raped and murdered his mother and sisters during a raid several years earlier. The two engage in a gunfight in which Bogue is disarmed by Chisolm. Bogue is then fatally shot by Cullen while reaching for a hidden gun in his ankle holster.
In the aftermath, Faraday, Robicheaux, Rocks and Horne are buried in town and honored by the people of Rose Creek as heroes, while Chisolm, Vasquez and Red Harvest ride off, with Cullen remarking that their heroism made them legends.
Cast
The Magnificent Seven
Denzel Washington as Sam Chisolm, a bounty hunter, the leader of the Seven
Chris Pratt as Josh Faraday, a gambler with a fondness for explosives
Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux, a sharpshooter
When I first said yes, it was on my mind. Absolutely. But once you go in, you just go in. You just say, "OK, I'm going do it and make my version of it." My big lesson so far is that when you do that you have to respect the film's DNA and you have to respect certain elements of the film because when you respect that you're respecting the people that love the film. Sometimes when people see movies they take whatever is going on in their life into the movie theater. And if the movie affects them a certain way, if you don't give them at least that feeling again or that idea again — even if it's done in a different package — then it's difficult to satisfy them. On Magnificent Seven, I kept reminding myself of when I was a 12‑year‑old boy, when I was a kid watching it with my grandmother, what was the feeling I had? How much fun was it? How cool were they? For me, I always had my grandmother in my mind when making a film. Would she enjoy this film?.
Fuqua has loved Western films since he was a young boy, watching them at home with his family. He discovered the genre at the age of 12 and has said that his grandmother was a key influence and inspiration in the remake.[10][9][11] The two of them had a penchant for Western films and would watch them together, including films such as Duel in the Sun (1946), Shane (1953) The Searchers (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), and The Wild Bunch (1969), and the movies of Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart.[10][12][13] Fuqua tried to stay true to the DNA of Seven Samurai in his remake.[11] The film was reported to be in the planning stages in 2012, with Tom Cruise starring. It was reported that Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, and Matt Damon might join the film.[14] In early 2014, MGM chairman Gary Barber and his cohorts approached Fuqua to read the script by Richard Wenk and Nic Pizzolatto, while Fuqua was making Southpaw.[15] Fuqua said he wanted to remake the film because the subject of tyranny and terrorism still prevails as it did in Seven Samurai. He has said that there is therefore a strong need for people to come and serve, which is what samurai means – "to serve."[16] Fuqua never thought of getting a chance to direct a Western film, and when MGM called him to helm the picture, he hesitated at first, recalling how amazing he thought Seven Samurai and its director, Kurosawa, were. The decision was not easy for him, citing for example of how many people are unaware that Scarface was a remake from the film of the same name released in 1932.[13]
Casting
Fuqua worked to create a diverse cast[17] 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).[18] It's a decision Fuqua says reflects historical reality more than it does any conscious attempt to update the story. "There were a lot of black cowboys, a lot of Native Americans; Asians working on the railroads. The truth of the West is more modern than the movies have been."[19] 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.[20] The actors were cast between December 2014 and July 2015.[21][22][23][24] 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.[25] The cast were put through cowboy training before filming commenced.[10] They were sent to boot camps in order to hone their skills.[20] Fuqua further brought the remake up-to-date by changing the names and occupations of the seven, casting a diverse set of actors and making sure the lead female Emma Cullen, played by Haley Bennett, didn't conform to stereotypes.[20]
Denzel Washington plays Sam Chisolm ("the Bounty Hunter"), a duly sworn warrant officer from Wichita, Kansas who goes after bad guys.[26] Washington's character was renamed from Chris Adams (played by Yul Brynner in the original film) to Sam Chisolm.[27] It is Washington's first Western film.[28] Washington did not watch Western films growing up since it was the end of the Western era in the movies. Moreover, he and his siblings were barred from going to the cinema since his father was a minister in a church. They instead grew up watching biblical films like King of Kings and The Ten Commandments. However, he has admitted seeing portions of Rawhide and Bonanza shows.[28][16] He did not watch the original film in preparation for this but has watched Seven Samurai.[28] This was an arbitrary decision of his, since he figured that watching the original film wouldn't help him much, "[Not seeing it] allowed me to do whatever I wanted to do. Instead of trying not to do what someone else did."[29][30] As with his previous films, Washington would start off the day by kneeling down and praying, asking for forgiveness for all his wrong-doings, "For me, this is more than just making movies. It is a platform."[16] Fuqua said that Washington, whom he has twice collaborated with, was his first choice to be cast irrespective of which role. The producers were skeptical whether he would take the job since it was a Western film. Fuqua then flew to New York to negotiate with Washington, who accepted the offer.[9][12]
Chris Pratt plays Josh Faraday ("the Gambler").[31] According to Pratt, Faraday is "a bit of a fox, a trickster. He's a gambler, a drinker. He loves the ladies. But he's deadly in a fire fight."[26] Like Washington, it is also Pratt's first Western film and the first film in which the two have starred together.[28] Pratt began watching Western films at the age of 31 while filming in London and would watch films like The Westerner (1940). He credits Gary Cooper for revitalizing his perspective towards Western films.[28][16] Pratt's character was the toughest to find. Fuqua was well aware of Pratt's penchant towards Western films. He and his team then approached Pratt who called back in a few days singing "Oh Shenandoah," to which Fuqua replied, ""He's it. He's Steve McQueen."[9]
Ethan Hawke is Goodnight Robicheaux ("the Sharpshooter"), a former Confederate soldier. Unlike the 1960 version, Hawke's version is more haunted and mature. Fuqua had one idea – to keep picturing Goodnight as if Christopher Walken's character, Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich in The Deer Hunter was a Civil War veteran; just a shattered person.[32] Hawke was the first person to come on board after the project was finalized.[15] Like Washington, The Magnificent Seven marks the third collaboration between Hawke and Fuqua after Training Day (2001) and Brooklyn's Finest (2009).[32] Hawke stumbled upon Fuqua and Washington during the New York premiere of The Equalizer in 2014 and, upon learning that a remake was in the works, he asked Fuqua to cast him in the film.[32]
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays Vasquez ("the Outlaw"), a bandit, robber, and criminal who has been on the run for several months. He doesn't have anything to lose because he has no family. He describes his character as someone who loves gunfighting.[33]
Martin Sensmeier plays Red Harvest ("the Warrior"), a native Comanche who is in pursuit of the remaining six.[33][31] Sensmeier auditioned several times in order to get the role. He stayed off social media and studied immensely in order to portray his part.[17] Scotty Augere, who previously worked on Dances with Wolves, taught Sensmeier how to ride a horse bareback and would ride with him two hours a day.[17]
Music
James Horner was tapped to write the film's score, but died on June 22, 2015. On July 2015, nearly a month after Horner's death, Fuqua learned that Horner had already starting working on music for the movie before filming commenced.[34] Horner's friend and score producer Simon Franglen co-composed the score after Horner's death, which will be released by Sony Classical.[35] The score will be the third and final Horner score to be released posthumously.[36]
The climactic battle between the Seven and a small army led by Bogue took three weeks to shoot; the weather was inclement.[15] Sometimes the cast and crew would wait in the on-set saloon for storms to pass, and, at times when the storm would worsen, the trailer would rock and they would have to leave the set.[15] Since his grandmother was the prime influence on the film, every day after filming, Fuqua would ask himself if she would have fun watching it.[10]
As of September 25, 2016[update], The Magnificent Seven has grossed $35 million in North America and $6.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $41.4 million, against a budget of $90 million.[5]
According to The Los Angeles Times, the film was released in theaters at a time when the Western genre had been struggling to attract wide audiences and accrue lucrative revenues, as it has shown considerble downfall in interest among patrons since the 1970s. The genre has had several recent box office flops such as Lone Ranger (2013) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011), but has also found success in films like Django Unchained (2012) and True Grit (2010).[49]
In the United States and Canada, The Magnificent Seven opened alongside Storks, and was projected to open to around $30 million, with some estimates going as high as $50 million, which would make it one of the biggest September debuts of all-time.[50][49][51][52] The film opened in 3,674 theaters, including having the benefit of playing in all IMAX theaters for one week and a number of premium large formats and D-Box screens.[3] It made $1.75 million from Thursday previews and $12.7 million on its first day.[53][54] The film went on to gross $35 million in its opening weekend and managed to top the box office and score the third biggest Western openers (not accounting for inflation), behind Rango ($38.1 million) and Cowboys & Aliens ($36.4 million).[55] It was also director Fuqua's second biggest opening and Denzel's third biggest.[56]
The film was released in South Korea (the first market worldwide) on September 14, 2016 and delivered an opening of $5.1 million, finishing in third place at the box office behind local film The Age of Shadows and Hollywood tent pole Ben-Hur.[57] Internationally, it will next open in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Germany, Spain, and Russia.[51] The following weekend, the film expanded to 62 markets and grossed $19.2 million from 63 markets (including Korea). IMAX made up $1.4 million from 234 theaters.[58]
Critical response
The Magnificent Seven received mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising the cast but noting the film does not offer much that is original or innovative.[7] On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 64%, based on 144 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Magnificent Seven never really lives up to the superlative in its title – or the classics from which it draws inspiration – but remains a moderately diverting action thriller on its own merits."[59] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a score of 54 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[60] According to CinemaScore polls, audiences gave the film an average "A–" grade, on an A+ to F scale.[61]
