Director Chad Stahelski reveals intriguing details about his reboot of "Highlander" starring Henry Cavill
Director Chad Stahelski shares exciting news about work on the Highlander reboot, starring Henry Cavill. The new film is still in development. The director says that the "Highlander" reboot will utilise elements from previous TV shows and could possibly be a prequel, opening up space for further development of the franchise's universe.
Here's What We Know
Recent news about Stahelski's involvement in the project suggests we can expect a successful development, given that there have been reports of failed attempts to resuscitate the franchise in the past.
The Highlander revival is planned to be a more earthy and realistic take on the story, perhaps presenting it as a modern tragedy rather than leaning towards the more fantastical nature of the original films and series.
The fantasy franchise, which began with Russell Mulcahy's 1986 film of the same name, follows Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman who must battle his eternal enemies. The first film was followed by other derivatives, including original novels, an animated film, television films, an animated series and comic books. In 2016, it was confirmed that Stahelski would direct a reboot of The Highlander, with Henry Cavill joining the project in 2021.
Speaking to Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stahelski reveals that in creating the reboot, he and his creative team have combined elements from previous TV series to create an even bigger "Highlander" franchise. He even hints that the reboot may be a prequel.
"I think we have some very good elements now. The trick is when you have the tagline ‘there can only be one’, you can’t just kill everybody the first time. I’ll say it for you first, our story engages a lot of the same characters and stuff like that, but we’ve also brought in elements of all the TV shows, and we’re trying to do a bit of a prequel, a setup to The Gathering, so we have room to grow the property."."I think we have some very good elements now. The trick is when you have the tagline ‘there can only be one’, you can’t just kill everybody the first time. I’ll say it for you first, our story engages a lot of the same characters and stuff like that, but we’ve also brought in elements of all the TV shows, and we’re trying to do a bit of a prequel, a setup to The Gathering, so we have room to grow the property."
Rumours of a fresh remake of the original "Highlander" go back as far as 2008. Since then, there have been reports of failed attempts involving directors such as Justin Lin ("Fast & Furious," "Star Trek Beyond"), Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ("28 Weeks Later," "Intruders") and others.
Stahelski is the latest potential director, and his new statements indicate that he is fully invested in the future of "Highlander," which promises a successful franchise.
When We Can Expect It
As for a release date for "Highlander," nothing has been confirmed yet, especially since filming doesn't seem to be starting anytime soon due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
