Highlander Remake With Henry Cavill Update Offered By Director

Highlander Reboot update

Highlander director Chad Stahleski gives an update on the long-promised remake of the cult film starring Henry Cavill. The original 1986 Highlander told the epic tale of an age-old battle between immortal warriors, following Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), an immortal born in the 16th-century Scottish Highlands, in both the past and present. Highlander became a cult classic and spawned a franchise that includes two direct film sequels, Highlander II and III, and a spinoff that followed a new Highlander named Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul). Although none of Highlander’s sequels could live up to the original, the franchise is still pervasive in pop culture with its famous tagline, “There can only be one.”

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Ever since the last live-action Highlander film, Highlander: The Source, delivered yet another disappointing sequel, there has been some interest in reviving the franchise. Lionsgate eventually acquired the rights and chose John Wick director Stahleski (after a long line of others) to helm the project. Things seemed to be progressing well for Stahleski’s Highlander, but as several years passed, the remake seemed stuck in development. Then in 2021, it was announced that The Witcher actor Henry Cavill would star in the Highlander remake as Connor MacLeod.

Related: Highlander: The Oldest Immortal Methos ExplainedSince that announcement, news about the Highlander reboot has been sparse, but now there is finally an update. In a recent interview with Collider, Stahleski shared a short but positive glimpse at Highlander’s current development stage. Fans of the cult film will be happy to hear that the Highlander remake is “closer than we’ve ever been.” Check out Stahleski’s full statement below:

We’re in the process of tweaking right now. I think we know what we want. More importantly than anything, we know what we want to make. 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.

Christopher Lambert in Highlander 1986

Stahleski may not give away many details about the new Highlander’s direction with this update, but he has previously shared some of his plans for the remake. After Cavill was announced as MacLeod, the Highlander director explained how Cavill’s range as an actor would help to explore Connor’s burden as an immortal more deeply. Of course, Cavill’s previous experience swinging a sword on The Witcher would also contribute to the epic action sequences essential to Highlander. Still, with many other projects on his schedule, Cavill’s continuing involvement with Highlander has yet to be confirmed, so Stahleski’s plan could change.

While this most recent update by Stahleski doesn’t give much information, it does confirm the most important detail: the Highlander remake is still happening. Although the wait on this remake may seem to be taking forever to fans of the original cult film, they can rest assured that the project hasn’t been dropped. If Stahleski can realize his vision for the Highlander remake, combining the slick, energetic action shots he’s known for and Cavill’s range, then the Highlander remake will be worth the wait. For now, Highlander fans will need to wait patiently for the next update.

Source: Collider

Author: Deann Hawkins