Matt Dillon is set to lead the next live-action adaptation of The Magnificent Seven series for MGM+, Variety has confirmed.
The show was officially picked up by MGM+ in December. Dillon will play Chris Adams, the character played by Yul Brynner in the original 1960 film. The character’s description reads: “Stoic, steady under pressure, and with an unflinching gaze that does most things for him, Chris has no patience for hypocrisy or cruelty and holds fast to a quiet moral code rooted in fairness and restraint.”
“Matt Dillon brings extraordinary depth and gravitas to this iconic role,” said Michael Wright, global head of MGM+. “His ability to play complex and morally contradictory characters makes him the perfect choice to lead our re-imagining of The Magnificent Seven. The series explores timeless themes of courage, redemption, and standing against oppression, while honoring the legacy of the original film. Matt’s performance will be central to that story.”
This will be one of the few television appearances of Dillon’s career. Previously, he appeared in the Apple TV series “High Desert” and the Fox supernatural drama “Wayward Pines.” He is primarily known for his film roles, including his Oscar-nominated role in the 2006 hit film Crash. He has also appeared in such films as “The House That Jack Built,” “Wild Things,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “The Outsiders,” and “Asteroid City.”
He is repped by UTA and Untitled Entertainment.
Dillon is the latest actor to take on the role of the leader of the Seven. Brynner reprized the role in the 1966 sequel, Return of the Seven, and George Kennedy took over the role in 1969’s Guns of the Magnificent Seven. Lee Van Cleef then played Adams in “The Magnificent Seven Rides”! Michael Biehn played Chris Larrabee in the CBS series The Magnificent Seven, which was largely based on the character of Chris Adams in the film. Most recently, Denzel Washington played Sam Chisholm in Antoine Fuqua’s 2016 film remake, where Chisholm became the leader of the Seven, with similar characteristics to Adams.
The show’s logline reads: “Set on the American frontier in the 1880s, ‘The Magnificent Seven’ follows a group of mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village that is massacred by a land tycoon’s hired guns. A group of flawed but talented mercenaries who become Quaker-infused and deviant. We must grapple with the question of whether it is permissible to use violence to protect those whose faith is based on violence.” The series examines each member of the Seven, exploring what is at stake and why they choose to take on this mission. ”
The series is created by writer Tim Kring, who serves as executive producer along with Donald De Line, Lawrence Milisch, and Bruce Kaufman. In addition to starring, Dillon will also serve as executive producer. The series is produced by MGM+ Studios and MGM Television Studios. Casting: Seth Yanklewicz. Production is scheduled to begin in June 2026.
