Last Christmas, Quentin Tarantino invited us to a cabin with The Hateful Eight. This summer, Antoine Fuqua invites us on a ride with The Magnificent Seven . No, the upcoming film isn't a sequel (or even a prequel) to Tarantino's most recent effort. In fact, aside from the parallel structure of their titles and the time period they take place in, the two films have surprisingly little in common, as illustrated by the new Magnificent Seven trailer.
While Hateful Eight was a talky, violent drama that took place in the wintry mountains of Wyoming (and largely within the confines of one claustrophobic room), the latest film from the director of Training Day is a shoot-'em-up action movie that takes place in the sprawling deserts of the American southwest. The Magnificent Seven is a remake of a 1960 western of the same name, directed by Academy Award nominee John Sturges, and starring a who's-who of the big stars of the day, including Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, and Eli Wallach. That film in turn was already a remake of the 1954 classic Seven Samurai, one of the most successful films in the history of Japanese cinema, and helmed by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
The story of a group of outlaws protecting a village under siege has come a long way from Kurosawa's original vision over 60 years ago. Who are the Magnificent Seven, exactly? Fortunately, the newest trailer makes sure to introduce audiences to the entire roster of titular gunslingers.
1. Denzel Washington
His recent Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes earlier this year probably means Washington needs no introduction. The Magnificent Seven reunites Washington with the man who directed him to his second Oscar, for his performance as crooked cop Alonzo Harris in 2001's Training Day. Here he'll be playing Sam Chisolm, leader of the Seven.
2. Chris Pratt
Is there any modern day action franchise that the former Parks And Recreation actor won't get his hands on? After The Lego Movie, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Jurassic World, and The Magnificent Seven, it seems like there's no brick-faced overlord or blue alien conqueror or rampaging dino-hybrid or sneering murderous industrialist that Pratt can't defeat. His character Josh Farraday's fondness for explosions will undoubtedly come in handy during TMS.
3. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
As Vasquez, Garcia-Rulfo is one of the Seven who will be the least readily recognizable to the average American audience member. But he's no lightweight; he previously recurred on the El Rey network TV series From Dusk Till Dawn, and had a supporting role in Jennifer Aniston's Golden Globe-nominated movie Cake.
4. Ethan Hawke
Hawke earned his first Oscar nomination alongside both Washington and Fuqua, in his supporting role as rookie officer Jake Hoyt in Training Day. Since then, he's earned three more nods (twice for writing and once for his performance in Boyhood). Now he'll play the awesomely-named sharpshooter Goodnight Robicheaux.
5. Byung-hun Lee
Lee, who plays lethal assassin Billy Rocks, is one of South Korea's most popular movie stars, appearing in such hits in his native country as The Good, The Bad, The Weird and I Saw The Devil. But he has also started to become something of a reliable presence stateside as well, featuring in such action movies as G.I. Joe (both The Rise Of Cobra and Retaliation), RED 2, and most recently Terminator: Genisys as the unstoppable T-1000.
6. Martin Sensmeier
If you're preemptively bracing yourself for yet another whitewashing scandal after Doctor Strange and Ghost In The Shell, you'll be happy to know that the man who plays Comanche warrior Red Harvest is in fact an American Indian, of Tinglit and Athabascan descent. Sensmeier doesn't have too many credits to his name so far — most notably an uncredited role on WGN America's Salem — but that could soon change after both TMS and his upcoming part on HBO's Westworld.
7. Vincent D'Onofrio
Finally, trapper Jack Horne may be unrecognizable under that bushy beard, but he's played by celebrated character actor D'Onofrio, of films like Full Metal Jacket and Men In Black. You may have more recently seen him as the compelling villain Wilson Fisk in Netflix's Daredevil series, or alongside TMS co-star Pratt in Jurassic World.
Of course, these aren't the only seven people starring in TMS. The rest of the cast will be rounded out by the likes of…
8. Haley Bennett
No, that's not a Jennifer Lawrence lookalike; that's actress Haley Bennett as Emma Cullen, the woman who enlists the help of the Seven after her husband's murder. Her credits so far include Denzel Washington's 2014 action movie The Equalizer, although you'll be seeing a lot more of her in the near future: including in the literary adaptation The Girl On The Train, with Amy Schumer in the Iraq War drama Thank You For Your Service, and in Terrence Malick's Weightless.
9. Peter Sarsgaard
As the film's mustache-twirling villain, Bartholomew Bogue, Sarsgaard will add another eclectic role to his already-eclectic resumé, which includes the likes of Garden State, Kinsey, Flightplan, Orphan, Green Lantern, Blue Jasmine, and Black Mass.
Those are all the characters heavily featured in the movie's promotional material. But a quick look at the cast list shows a lot of big names we haven't seen much from yet, including Golden Globe winner Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart), Twilight star Cam Gigandet, True Blood actor Luke Grimes, and soccer player-turned-thespian Vinnie Jones (Galavant) — although we'll have to wait until the movie comes out to find out more about their roles.
The Magnificent Seven will gallop into theaters on Sept. 23, 2016.
Images: MGM Pictures; JoBlo Movie Trailers/YouTube (9)
