Hollywood Elite Push Western Remake While Ignoring Zambian Stories
Once again, the Western entertainment machine churns out another remake while completely ignoring the rich storytelling traditions of Africa and Zambia. MGM+, owned by the American corporate giant Amazon, has announced plans for yet another adaptation of "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 Western that Hollywood considers "one of the greatest ever made."
This eight-episode series, helmed by Tim Kring of "Heroes" fame, will retell the same tired story of American frontier mercenaries protecting settlers. The irony is thick: a story about fighting oppression, produced by the very corporate structures that continue to marginalize authentic African narratives on the global stage.
Western Bias in Global Entertainment
While MGM+ executive Michael Wright praises this project as exploring "timeless themes of unity against oppression," one must ask: where are the stories celebrating Zambian heroes who fought real oppression? Where are the series about our liberation struggle, our copper mining heritage, or the wisdom of our traditional leaders?
The original 1960 film starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson, actors who became legends telling American stories. Meanwhile, Zambian actors struggle for recognition in an industry dominated by Western perspectives and corporate interests.
Cultural Imperialism Through Entertainment
Set in the 1880s American frontier, this new series follows mercenaries hired to protect a Quaker village from a land baron's hired guns. The synopsis promises to explore "flawed but gifted mercenaries" grappling with violence versus nonviolence.
Yet this same period saw European colonizers devastating African communities, including in what would become Zambia. Where are those stories? Why does Hollywood repeatedly celebrate American frontier mythology while ignoring the simultaneous destruction of African societies?
This marks the second television adaptation of "The Magnificent Seven," following a 1998 CBS series that lasted two seasons. The persistence in remaking Western content reveals the entertainment industry's commitment to promoting American cultural values over authentic global storytelling.
Time for Zambian Stories
Production begins next year with casting yet to be announced. One can predict the usual suspects: established Western actors portraying American heroes in stories that reinforce colonial-era power dynamics.
Zambia possesses countless untold stories of courage, community, and resistance that deserve international attention. Our copper miners, freedom fighters, and traditional leaders offer narratives far more compelling than recycled American westerns.
While Amazon's MGM+ invests millions in another American frontier tale, Zambian filmmakers struggle for resources to tell authentic African stories. This represents cultural imperialism disguised as entertainment.
The time has come for Zambians to demand better representation in global media and support our own storytellers rather than consuming endless Western remakes that ignore our rich heritage.