There can, apparently, be more than one, as Deadline reports that Lionsgate is officially moving forward and starting sales for their reboot of the 1980s fantasy adventure Highlander. Directed by John Wick helmer Chad Stahelski, the action-adventure fantasy story currently has Henry Cavill attached as the lead, though whether he will be playing Connor MacLeod — originally portrayed by French actor Christopher Lambert — or another immortal has yet to be revealed.
The reboot’s plot is being kept tightly under wraps, though the film is based on the 1986 film, directed by Russell Mulcahy and also starring Sean Connery, Roxanne Hart, and Clancy Brown. Deadline describes the film as “John Wick with swords,” which bodes well for fans of the original, which featured stunning fight choreography by the legendary Bob Anderson, set to the music of Queen, who released the film’s soundtrack as their album A Kind of Magic, referring to a deleted scene that appears in the director’s cut of the film. No other cast for the reboot has been announced.
Stahelski previously said to Collider that they were in the process of “tweaking” the script, saying, “It’s in the creatives. We know what we’re trying to make. It’s just a matter of getting it to the point where we feel, “Okay, this is it. Let’s go.” But we’re closer than we’ve ever been, so that’s good.” He also revealed back in August that his version of The Gathering would incorporate not only elements from the film series, but also the television series, which ran for six seasons in the ‘90s and starred Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod, cousin of Christopher Lambert’s Connor, expanding on the lore of the immortals and The Prize. Collider can confirm that the reboot is planned as Stahelski‘s next project, meaning it’ll likely show its face sooner rather than later.
Where Does the Reboot Fit in ‘Highlander’ Canon?
The original film follows Connor MacLeod, the titular Scottish Highlander, who discovers after a fierce battle that he is effectively immortal. Banished from his family and friends for witchcraft, he meets Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez (Connery), who teaches him the ways of being an immortal — which includes killing other immortals by cutting off their heads, thereby subsuming their immortal powers. However, MacLeod isn’t safe, as he fights throughout time with The Kurgan (Brown), who is determined to be the last man standing as achieve The Prize of every other immortal’s soul.
The reboot is the latest in a number of additions to the Highlander franchise, which began when a sequel, subtitled The Quickening, was released in 1991. Though none of the follow-up sequels were as well-received as the original film, the franchise went on to spawn five more films (the most recent of which was released in 2007), three television series, including an animated one, three video games, four comics, and ten novels, proving that much like the immortals of the franchise, it’s impossible to kill. (Unless you behead it, of course.)
Stahelski’s Highlander reboot has not yet received a release date. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
via Collider