By Chris Yogerst, Published Jun 10, 2026, 10:25 AM EDT
Chris Yogerst is a writer at MovieWeb and regular contributor to The Hollywood Reporter. His work can also be found in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Time, and the LA Review of Books. In addition to journalism, Yogerst is a historian and author of several books, including The Warner Brothers (2023) and Hollywood Hates Hitler (2020). He also writes Adventures in the Archive, a Substack exploring historical topics ranging well beyond film and TV.
All too often, the western as a genre is presumed to be a male-dominated space. In my recent book on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), I explain that director John Ford felt the film’s main character was Hallie (Vera Miles) and not Tom (John Wayne) or Ranse (Jimmy Stewart). The source material was written by Dorothy Johnson. John Wayne, often reviled for his racist comments made in a 1970s Playboy interview, was regardless hailed by some prominent second-wave feminists who should, by definition, despise him. The Western, with its characters and personalities, is far more dynamic than people realize. The latest remake of The Magnificent Seven is about to remind us once again that the frontier isn’t just a boys’ town.
The iconic remake will introduce two original new female characters, continuing a tradition of strong women on the frontier by channeling Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar or Barbara Stanwyck in The Furies. Not that anyone would mess with young Mattie in the Coen Brothers’ 2010 True Grit remake, either. Joanne Froggatt and Amy Forsyth will be joining the MGM+ series adapting The Magnificent Seven.
Previously confirmed cast members include Matt Dillon, Will Patton, Michael Ealy, and Danny Pino. This is the first adaptation since Antoine Fuqua’s 2016 film starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
The classic story follows a group of mercenaries on the 1880s American frontier who are hired to protect a Quaker town from a gang hired by a diabolical land baron looking to seize their land. An underdog story of ultimate proportions, the hired hands grapple with their odds of survival. The series looks to question the necessity of violence while engaging themes of honor, sacrifice, redemption, and faith.
The new adaptation will deviate from the original Delmer Daves film by introducing several new characters. As Deadline reveals, Froggatt will play Harriet Talbot, who is described as:
“A sharp, unflinching, and unwilling to back down … Lost and with nowhere to turn, she happened upon a Quaker community that took her in without question. The community became her home and her faith. Wanting to marry and settle down, she is matched with Samuel in a Quaker community all the way out in Wyoming. Shortly after she arrives, and minutes after the ceremony, Samuel is killed in Skelton in an effort to scare them off their land. Harriet cannot stand idly by. She sets out to find protection, and it’s through her that Chris is drawn into the mission. Her strength isn’t in firepower. It’s in conviction.”
Forsyth will play Katie “Deadeye” Dalton, who is:
“Wry, sarcastic, and emotionally guarded. Katie learned to shoot from
her father on the family’s farm. When a Wild West show came through,
she was recruited and given the moniker ‘Deadeye Dalton,’ the fastest
gun in the west. As their star attraction, she dutifully sent money
home — and during that stretch crossed paths with Vin (Ealy) in a
brief, vivid fling neither quite forgot. After years on the stage,
she finally made it back home to see her family, only to find the
house empty, with no sign of what had happened to them. Distraught,
she started drinking. The drinking got worse, and one night her aim
slipped, and she killed her co-star in front of a crowd. The years
since have been a slow drift from one dead end to the next, chasing
rumors of her brothers that go nowhere. Tired. Faded. Still dangerous
with a gun, but haunted.”
The frontier is always ripe for new stories, reliably relevant, easily adaptable, and perpetually potent. There’s always something about the unknown. The unsettled (a loaded term) land. The beautiful landscapes are marred by dangerous terrain. The wilderness always resists being civilized. The Western has been questioning the nature of heroes, the problems of violence, and the role of the Alpha personality on the frontier. That’s why I was drawn to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance in the first place. The story shows how the rugged individual, played by John Wayne, was no longer needed in a civilized society where an intellectual played by Jimmy Stewart could provide laws and learning.
As we enter America’s 250th anniversary, the time is ripe to investigate the frontier ethos that’s driven so much of our sense of empire, purpose, and identity for centuries. There’s no better way to tackle difficult questions than by sending them out on the great American frontier to be hashed out in the wild.
The Magnificent Seven series is written and produced by Tim Kring with producers Donald De Line, Lawrence Mirisch, Bruce Kaufman, and Matt Dillon.
Continue/Read Original Article: ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Remake Confirms Big Change From Original Western Masterpiece
Discover more from DrWeb's Domain
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
