The Magnificent Seven TV Reboot Saddles Up With MobLand Star

If you thought the world was done remaking The Magnificent Seven – or, for that matter, Seven Samurai – think again. MGM+ are insisting on taking another swing at the legendary gunslinger story, this time as a full-on TV series, and the cast is shaping up to be a bit of a mix.

Joanne Froggatt Signs Up – Yes, That Joanne Froggatt

You might know Joanne Froggatt as the long-suffering Anna Bates from Downton Abbey, or possibly from her recent stint as Jan Da Souza opposite Tom Hardy in MobLand (that’s the show with Hardy, not the Nick Cage film, just to spare confusion). Either way, she’s signed onto this new Western as the head of a Quaker group who, in true genre fashion, come under siege and require a bit of hired muscle.

And no, before you ask, there’s no word yet on whether she’s coming back to MobLand for a third season. Maybe keep those betting slips in your drawer for now.

In case Froggatt passed you by on her way to this, she’s racked up all sorts of credits – Liar, Angela Black, Coro, Breathtaking, Sherwood, and, going back, The Bill and Robin Hood. The woman’s worked, put it that way.

A Quick Run Through the Lineage

This isn’t the first time someone’s tried to re-spin this story, and it certainly won’t be the last. For those who haven’t got their classic film timeline straight:

• Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai comes out in 1954 – it’s the original, the OG, and still sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
• John Sturges adapts it into The Magnificent Seven (1960) for Hollywood, starring the likes of Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen – you know the drill: dusty hats, tense standoffs, a touch of machismo.
• 2016 brings us yet another film remake, this time with Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt hip-firing their way through the plot.

Now, the baton passes to television, with Heroes creator Tim Kring in the big chair making sure things go bang on schedule.

Some Familiar Faces - And a Bit of Mystery

So far, the cast lineup is starting to look like a slightly odd but intriguing dinner party: along with Froggatt, we’ll see Matt Dillon, Will Patton, and Michael Ealy donning the requisite cowboy hats. Seems like there’s something for everybody.

As for when we’ll actually get to see all this unfold? Still anyone’s guess. No confirmed release window just yet – typical move, really.

'Froggatt will play the leader of the Quaker group under siege, the very group the cowboys are hired to defend.'

That’s the set-up: Quakers in trouble, seven hired hands, and plenty of room for shootouts and moral dilemmas.