You’d think that if you’re planning a remake of something as classic as Akira Kurowsawa’s 1954 flick Seven Samurai, you might want to get a well known, top flight director to allay fears it’s going to be awful. However The Weinstein Company has gone the other way, hiring a little known helmer in the hope they can bring something special to the mix.
Variety reports that Scott Mann has been hired to direct the $60 million remake. He’s best known for the fun but slightly bizarre 2009 flick, The Tournament. TWC must be hoping that with that film’s almost non-stop action about 30 top assassins battling it out to see who’s best, Mann has what it takes to handle something like Seven Samurai (although I wouldn’t bet on it if I were you).
Screenwriter John Fusco has been developing the project at for the past 18 months, with Mann now stepping in to develop the screenplay alongside him. However, while officially based on Seven Samurai, like The Magnificent Seven the film plans to be a litte different and depart from the classical Japanese setting of Kurowsawa’s film. Instead it’ll take place in a small, contemporary village in Thailand, with the locals recruiting seven warriors from around the world to help defend their town from an upcoming attack.
At least this new version has the Kurowsawa family’s blessing, as Akira’s son, Hisao, will executive produce along with Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein.