Hollywood Popular Artists

Get ready to saddle up, because Tom Cruise is aiming to star in a remake of "The Magnificent Seven."

Keep in mind that this is actually a remake of a remake, as MGM's 1960 Western was actually a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic "Seven Samurai." This project is still in its very early stages of development -- it doesn't even have a writer yet -- so we hope that the studio turns to the original source material in their creation of this film.

Variety broke the news about the project, stating that MGM is starting its search for a writer, though no director is on board yet. Apparently Cruise has been looking to develop the movie for a while now, which is why he's agreed to join the film even though it's still a long ways off.

Hopefully with Cruise attached, some other high-profile talent will flock to the flick as well. If the movie's going to be made, it might as well be made right. It's not clear yet which role Cruise is looking to play, since he has at least seven to choose from.

This isn't the first of MGM's classic films they're dredging up for the remake treatment. Production on "RoboCop" and "Carrie" is set to start this year, and the studio is also prepping remakes of "Poltergeist," "WarGames," "Death Wish" and "Valley Girl." Their long-finished "Red Dawn" remake is set to hit theaters later this year.

At least "The Magnificent Seven" is something of a timeless tale, and can work in many situations. Hopefully the Cruise movie will be a modern take on "Seven Samurai" instead of a straight "The Magnificent Seven" rip-off, because that would actually be pretty cool.

What do you think of this latest remake news? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!