Deadline reports that Danny Pino, best known for Mayans MC and Hotel Cocaine, has joined the cast of The Magnificent Seven TV series from Heroes creator Tim Kring, which is being developed for MGM+.
Pino will play a new character, Santiago “Santi” Vega, who didn’t exist in the original Magnificent Seven movie. The description reads: “effortlessly charming, stylish, and funny — a master manipulator who prefers to talk his way out of trouble. Born in San Antonio to a mother who was a maid to his aristocratic father, who refused to claim him. With no one coming to save him, Santi learned to save himself — cheating cards, running schemes, talking his way into and out of everything. When Chris and Vin find him, they don’t find a grifter– they find him mid-brawl, and it’s the knife and gun work that stops them cold. He plays the cynic, always ready with a quip, but he’s more sensitive and more haunted than he lets on.“
Set in the tumultuous 1880s, The Magnificent Seven TV series follows “seven gifted but flawed mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by mercenaries working for a ruthless land baron trying to seize their land. As the team embeds itself and prepares to defend against overwhelming odds, they grapple with a central question: is violence acceptable to defend people whose faith is based on non-violence? The series explores the backstories of each of the Seven, what’s at stake for them, and why they choose this mission—delving into themes of honor, sacrifice, redemption, morality, and faith.“
In addition to Pino, the cast includes Matt Dillon (I Play Rocky) as Chris Adams, the character portrayed by Yul Brynner in the original, Michael Ealy (Power Book II: Ghost) as Vin Tanner, who was played by Steve McQueen in the original, and Will Patton (Horizon: An American Saga) as a new character who seems to be the main villain.
The first movie was a Western remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, and was followed by three sequels: Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride.
A TV series starring Michael Biehn aired from 1998 to 2000, and the most recent adaptation was the 2016 remake directed by Antoine Fuqua, which featured an all-star cast led by Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, and more.