Antoine Fuqua’s ‘The Magnificent Seven’ to open 41st TIFF

by W. Andrew Powell
The Magnificent Seven

Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven will make it’s world premiere this September at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival, Piers Handling, director and CEO of TIFF announced this morning during the first press conference for the TIFF 2016.

“This is my third time bringing a film to Toronto, and having The Magnificent Seven chosen to be this year’s opening night film is a true honour. I can’t think of a better place or crowd for the film’s world premiere”, Fuqua said in a video message during the press conference.

The film is a modern adaptation of director Akira Kurosawa’s classic Seven Samurai and stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, and Peter Sarsgaard.

“We are pleased to welcome acclaimed filmmaker Antoine Fuqua back to the Festival, and have been proud to present audiences with his feature films including Training Day and The Equalizer,” said Handling. “Fuqua has delivered an exciting character-driven film on a grand scale, while putting his own unique spin on the genre making for a thrilling opening night.”

“Fuqua’s ability to effortlessly blend visceral action and the emotion of drama is what makes him such a compelling storyteller, and this film is no exception,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “With an incredible ensemble cast who deliver commanding performances, our audience is certainly in for a ride.”

The Magnificent Seven will premiere on September 8 at Roy Thomson Hall, and the festival runs until September 18. Ticket packages for TIFF are available at tiff.net/tickets.

Synopsis: Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople, led by Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers, and hired guns — Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money. The screenplay is by Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk. The film is produced by Roger Birnbaum and Todd Black.

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