Dust Off the Spurs: MGM+ Revives The Magnificent Seven with Will Patton and Matt Dillon

The TV industry is currently obsessed with the "if it ain’t broke, fix it until it is" philosophy of content creation. Case in point: MGM+ has officially greenlit a series reboot of The Magnificent Seven. Because apparently, two legendary films and a short-lived 90s show weren't enough to satisfy our collective appetite for watching seven guys with questionable morals shoot at things in the desert. While the 2016 film felt like a glossy, star-studded fever dream, this new iteration seems to be aiming for a grittier, more prestige-flavored television landscape.

Headlining this dusty endeavor is the ever-reliable Matt Dillon, stepping into the spurs of Chris Adams. But the real headline-grabber for those who enjoy their villains with a side of gravitas is the casting of Will Patton. Patton, who has spent the last few years reminding everyone he’s the king of the weathered-look in Yellowstone and Horizon, joins the cast as the series’ primary antagonist, Cyrus T. Clemons.

Clemons isn't your run-of-the-mill mustache-twirler. He is a ruthless land baron with a private army and a very expensive grudge against a peaceful Quaker village. This setup provides the perfect excuse for Dillon’s Chris Adams to round up six other social misfits for a suicide mission that will surely involve a lot of dramatic staring and even more gunpowder.

Tim Kring, the man behind Heroes, is steering this wagon train. While Kring is known for sprawling ensembles, the challenge here will be making us care about a story we’ve essentially heard three times before. The 1880s setting remains a staple of the genre, but MGM+ is clearly hoping that the long-form storytelling of a series will allow for more character development than a two-hour blockbuster.

Is the world crying out for another Magnificent Seven? Probably not. But with Patton playing a cold-blooded tycoon and Dillon playing the weary hero, there is enough veteran talent here to keep Western fans from changing the channel. Filming is set to kick off this summer, and if they manage to capture even half the charm of the original Yul Brynner classic, MGM+ might just have a hit on its hands.

Check back with The TV Cave for more updates as the rest of the seven are cast. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you're ready for another ride with these mercenaries or if the Western genre needs to ride off into the sunset for a while.