The premise is the same as the 1960 film that starred Steve McQueen -- seven gunslingers unite to defend a small town from a ruthless land baron.
Fuqua sat down with Moviefone to discuss his take on the iconic western, Ethan Hawke's unique (and intense) way he went after a role, and why no character throws racial slurs at Denzel in this movie.
Moviefone: How did you get involved with the remake?
Antoine Fuqua: MGM decided to remake it and they had heard I loved westerns. They asked me if I'd do it and, at first, I was hesitant because remaking a classic film like that is tricky. When I read the script, I said, "Yes, this could be good."
It was. It was a conscious decision. I've always been that way, especially when working with Denzel. The lesson you learn is, just being in the business for a while, is that people bring so much to the theater themselves. We're all aware of what prejudice exists and sometimes it's good to challenge the audience. Denzel walks into a bar and the bar stops. Everybody gets quiet. Is it because he's a gunslinger and duly sworn warrant officer that people know about? Or is it because he's black?
