10 September 2016
Newsdesk
Ethan Hawke landed his role in The Magnificent Seven remake by simply telling director Antoine Fuqua he would be in it.
This is the third time the two Hollywood figures have teamed up; they also worked on Training Day and Brooklyn’s Finest. Ethan’s Training Day co-star Denzel Washington also stars in the new flick, marking the second time they’ve worked together.
“Well, I saw him (Antoine) and Denzel at the premiere of The Equalizer in New York, and they said they were remaking The Magnificent Seven, and I asked who else was cast. No one – so there are six more parts? I’ll be in that movie,” Ethan recalled to The Globe and Mail.
The two actors are joined by an all-star cast in the epic western film, with Chris Pratt, Matt Bomer and Peter Sarsgaard also featuring.
The Magnificent Seven tells the story of seven men in the old west who come together to help a poor village against thieves. Racial dynamics are at the movie’s centre, with Ethan extremely proud of the film’s message that the war’s not yet over.
“Race has been more part of the news now than in the earlier part of my life. It seems to be everywhere, and there is a feeling that the war isn’t over,” Ethan stated. “The film is still fun, that’s the main spirit of it, but at its core it’s working to a positive message.”
Over the course of his 30-year career, four times Oscar-nominee Ethan has become known for mixing big budget flicks with independent offerings. While the 45-year-old loves being a part of all different cinema genres, he understands why studios churn out so many blockbusters.
“It’s always hard to make anything beautiful, worthwhile and substantive,” he shrugged. “Of course the studios want to do franchises – they’d get fired if they didn’t make money. Zombies and hot chicks will put asses in seats. To be crass about it, that’s how those guys think.”
