MGM+ Greenlights New Series Adaptation of Classic Western ‘The Magnificent Seven’ from ‘Heroes’ Creator Tim Kring

In a move sure to thrill Western enthusiasts, MGM+ has officially greenlit an eight-episode drama series based on the iconic 1960 film The Magnificent Seven. The project, penned and executive produced by Tim Kring—best known for creating the Emmy-nominated superhero saga Heroes—promises a fresh reimagining of the timeless tale, delving deeper into the personal stakes and moral dilemmas of its flawed heroes. Production is slated to begin in June 2026, with the series set to stream on MGM+ in the U.S. and select international markets.

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The Magnificent Seven Original 1960 Quad Poster Yul Brynner Steve McQueen | eBay

Iconic poster for the 1960 film The Magnificent Seven, starring Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen.

The announcement comes as MGM+ continues to mine its rich library of classics following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM. This new adaptation replaces a previously developed version by True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto, who co-wrote the 2016 film remake but is no longer involved.

Kring, whose credits also include Touch and Crossing Jordan, will executive produce alongside Donald De Line (Billy the Kid), Lawrence Mirisch, and Bruce Kaufman. The series is produced by MGM+ Studios and MGM Television Studios.

“Tim Kring is a master storyteller,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+, in a statement. “Tim, Donald De Line, Larry Mirisch, and Bruce Kaufman have crafted a series that delivers the energy of a classic Western, honors the legacy of the original film, and reasserts its timeless themes of the power of unity against oppression and flawed heroes finding redemption by helping those who can’t help themselves.”

The official synopsis sets the story in the tumultuous 1880s American frontier: After a peaceful Quaker village is massacred by mercenaries working for a greedy and ruthless land baron trying to force them off coveted land, the community hires seven gifted but flawed mercenaries to protect them. As the team embeds itself in the village, preparing for battle against overwhelming odds, they grapple with a profound question: Is the use of violence acceptable to defend a people whose faith is rooted in non-violence?

This iteration promises to explore each mercenary’s backstory in depth—what drives them, what’s at stake personally, and why they risk everything for this cause—while retaining themes of honor, sacrifice, redemption, morality, faith, and the cost of courage.

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The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt lead the ensemble in the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven.

The 1960 original, directed by John Sturges and produced by The Mirisch Company for United Artists (now part of MGM), starred Yul Brynner as the stoic leader Chris Adams, alongside rising stars Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz. A direct remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece Seven Samurai, it redefined the Western genre with its blend of action, character depth, and ensemble dynamics. The film spawned three sequels—Return of the Seven (1966), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)—and inspired a short-lived CBS television series that ran from 1998 to 2000.

In 2016, director Antoine Fuqua delivered a modern remake starring Denzel Washington as bounty hunter Sam Chisolm, Chris Pratt as gambler Josh Faraday, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Martin Sensmeier. Peter Sarsgaard played the villainous industrialist. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, earned praise for its diverse cast, explosive action sequences, and Elmer Bernstein’s iconic score (reworked by James Horner and Simon Franglen), though some critics noted it lacked the original’s subtlety.

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Famous Cowboys & Gunslingers From The American Wild West | HistoryExtra

Gunslingers on the 1880s American frontier, evoking the gritty world of the new series.

By shifting the vulnerable community to Quakers—a pacifist religious group—this new series introduces a unique ethical tension absent from prior versions, where Mexican farmers or mining towns were defended. It amplifies the internal conflict for the gunfighters, forcing them to confront the clash between their violent skills and the villagers’ beliefs.

No casting details have been announced yet, but given the pedigree, expectations are high for a star-studded lineup. The series will be available on MGM+ in the U.S., UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile.

Westerns have enjoyed a resurgence on television, from Yellowstone spin-offs to Billy the Kid (also on MGM+). With Kring’s knack for character-driven storytelling and moral complexity—honed on Heroes—this Magnificent Seven could ride into the pantheon of great small-screen revivals.

As production gears up next summer, fans of the genre can look forward to a thoughtful, action-packed exploration of what it means to fight for the defenseless in a lawless land. In an era of reboots, this one aims not just to remake history, but to interrogate it anew.