Magnificent Seven First Look Released

04/19/2016 12:19 pm EDT

The Magnificent Seven remake from Director Antoine Fuqua has a stellar cast at its disposal, including Academy Award winner Denzel Washington in his first western role.

First though, Fuqua had to convince him to do it. At a lunch meeting, Fuqua set the tone with a hi-hop version of an Ennio Morricone Western theme during his pitch, and Washington was hooked (via USA Today).

"Denzel just smiled and said, 'All right, let's do it," Fuqua recalls. "I walked out of the restaurant and said to myself, 'Denzel Washington is getting on a horse for The Magnificent Seven."

Washington had to learn how to ride a horse, and during filming took quite a liking to his Colt .45 Peacemaker.

"He had it with him all the time, even when he wasn't on the set," Fuqua says. "We'd have meetings and he'd be spinning and twirling his gun while we were talking. He used to walk around his house spinning guns, go to restaurants. Obviously, people knew it was for his character."

The loaded cast includes not just Washington, but also Vincent D'Onofrio, Martin Sensmeier, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ethan Hawke, Chris Pratt, and Byung-hun Lee. Pratt plays gambler Josh Farraday, and in keeping with his innate charm and positive attitude, had fun on set even in 110-degree weather.

"It'd be 110 degrees and even the horses wouldn't do what you wanted them to do," Fuqua says. "I'd check in and ask Chris, 'You good?' And he'd say, 'Let's do this baby, I'm in a Western."

The Magnificent Seven releases on September 23rd. You can view some of the additional first look photos in the gallery.

via USA Today

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.