The Magnificent Seven Rides Again: Will Patton Saddles Up With Matt Dillon for New MGM+ Series

Well, it looks like we’re getting yet another take on The Magnificent Seven. This time, MGM+ is turning the classic Western into a drama series, and honestly, the casting alone has my attention—even if we all know how uneven TV Westerns can get. Matt Dillon is leading the charge, but the latest news? Will Patton is joining the lineup, and he’s not exactly riding in as one of the heroes.

Will Patton: Not One of the Seven

Here’s where things get a bit more interesting. Instead of playing one of the titular Seven, Will Patton’s suiting up as the show’s main villain. He’ll be taking on the role of Cyrus T. Clemons—a classic land baron type, except with a backstory that’s actually not the usual ‘evil rich guy born evil’ trope.

According to the official rundown (yes, they really went deep on this character), Clemons started as a humble music teacher before the Civil War. Everything changed for him after surviving the brutal battle of the Bloody Angle—he comes out of that convinced the world’s split between winners and losers, and he’s dead set on ending up in the winner’s column, whatever it takes.

He heads west with his wife Beatrice, dreaming of building a legacy—the town of Clemons, no less. But, of course, there’s a catch: a group of Quakers own a piece of land he’s decided he needs to crown his little empire. The Quakers, though, aren’t interested in selling, so they call in the Magnificent Seven for help. That’s when Clemons stops asking nicely and starts unleashing his private army, spiraling deeper as his plans fall apart.

'Clemons is confident, swaggering and convinced of his own destiny in the 1880s American frontier-set series… The town of Clemons is meant to be his crowning glory, but to achieve that, he needs the land owned by a peaceful, yet resolute group of Quakers. When they refuse, and hire the Magnificent Seven to fight back, Clemons is forced to use his private army… But the further his plans unravel, the more desperate Clemons becomes.'

The Rest of the Cast (and a Small Rant)

Dillon’s stepping into the boots of Chris Adams—the same role Yul Brynner played in the original 1960 film. And, not to get sidetracked, but the original really does deserve all its classic status. That cast! Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn. Absolute icons. And if MGM+ doesn’t bring back Elmer Bernstein’s legendary score in at least some form, they’re missing a huge trick.

So, How Many Times Has This Story Been Told?

If you’ve lost track, you’re not alone. Here’s how the Magnificent Seven franchise keeps getting dusted off for a new generation:

• 1960 – The original Western, itself a (remarkably good) remake of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai
• 1966 – Return of the Seven, with Brynner coming back as Chris
• 1969 – Guns of the Magnificent Seven (Chris now played by George Kennedy)
• 1972 – The Magnificent Seven Ride (Chris switches faces again, now Lee Van Cleef)
• 1998-2000 – A two-season TV show, starring Michael Biehn
• 2016 – Big-budget remake from Antoine Fuqua, with Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and basically half of Hollywood in the cast

So, will the MGM+ version finally bring something new to the table or just give us another round of déjà vu with a fresh coat of dust? At the very least, with Patton bringing some unpredictable energy to the villain role and Tim Kring (yep, the guy who brought us Heroes) running the show, there’s a good chance this one will be at least worth checking out—if only for the cast alone.