My Pitch - HIGHLANDER
First off let me say I'm a huge fan of the original movie I loved the story, the action that came with it and also the sadness of it so here's my pitch and some casting.
Cast -
Connor MacLeod/Russell Nash - Ryan Gosling
I've chose Gosling for two reasons, one he's a good actor and carries performances really well I mean in 2011's Drive he's the actor carrying the movie and 2012's Place Beyond the Pines he again owns the movie with his role which I wont go into due to spoliers and the second reason is the expresions he pulls off, the look of sadness Gosling shows really suits the Macleod role just like how Christopher Lambert played the part.
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez - Christopher Lambert or Micky Rourke
Okay I know some of you aren't going to like that casting at all but I think it would fit, he's older and he is part of the original series and that accent of his would work really well in the part at least it would make more sense that Sean Connery's Scottish accent, I could have gone with an Eygptian actor but this just felt right to me as a fan of the original movie.
Micky Rourke was orginally offered the role of MacLeod (fun fact for you there) but turned it down I think he would also be a good choice as we've seen him play rough characters before but also he gives of a warm vibe I feel I can see him being a mentor to Macleod.
The Kurgan - Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel always seems like a nice guy, when you see him in interviews and a good majority of his films but he also seems imposing the size of the man could easily intimidate and that's why I think he would suit the Kurgan role well, plus his voice would be such a good match when coming out with some of the lines Clancy Brown used.
Plot
The movie starts with the camera slowly rotating around the New York city skyline then a voiceover from Ramirez
"
For centuries we have walked besides you, we have foughts in your wars, lived as your neibours and been your friends but have you really known us? we smile as one of you but we have lived a far greater struggle we play the game for we are Immortals and in the end..... There can be only one"
Of course we would have to enter the opening credits with an epic opening song like the originals (Queen - Princes of the Universe)
The scene cuts to Times Square at night, as crowds flood the street the camera singles out a man in his 50's in a dark suit and wearing dark shades, the camera spans around and we see he is watching someone in a brown jacket, fitted blue jeans and white sneakers, their back turned to the camera as they are at a hotdog stand, they get their hotdog and walk away into the crowds, the man begins to follow him.
We see from the guy with the shades view that the man in the jacket has entered a movie theatre, he follows him in and proceeds to buy a ticket into the same movie as the other it is then that we first see Connor MacLeod's face as Connor sits down the man following him sits a seat in the row behind him, Connor coughs into his hand and after a minute gets up and leaves the screen room.
The man follows him but as he leaves the screen room a crowd of children rush past him and he looses track of Connor but then he looks sharply to the left as if sensing Connor's presense he walks into a room witha sign stating 'STAFF ONLY' as he enters he walks down a narrow stair case as the bottom he is confronted by Connor, Connor welcomes him calling him 'Salvou' but Salvou isn't interested in sharing kind words instead he states that he missed Macleod by seconds in L.A. flicking his coat open he pulls out a sword and swings it at Connor, Connor quickly pulls a Katanna concealed in his jacket and blocks the attack.
As they fight they end up behind the screen of the screen room they were sat in, Salvou gets the upper hand but that's only because Connor doesn't want to alert the people in the screen room but eventually takes the upper hand when he throws Salvou's attention with his elbow to Salvou's face quickly beheading Salvou, things go quiet but then Connor is brought up in the air by lighting showing us the quicking he has recieved for taking Salvou's head, the quicking blows out the screen in the theatre sending all the people behind the screen that were watching the movie out the room in fright.
Connor lands on the floor picking up his blade and runs, the scene cuts to 1536 the Scottish highlands Connor is there in old Scottish wear including a cilt, his hair is long and he has a different sword a Scottish Claymore a girl runs up to his grabbing his hand and they kiss both obviously happy they talk about how things will be when they are married as they walk beside a large loch Connor looks across it and smiles saying they will be together forever, that night their clan town is attacked by a rival clan Connor tells the woman to stay in their home and hide, as he races out to join his clan fighting off the other a large man in strange foreign armour enters.
As the enemy clan are nearly defeated Connor hears a scream and races to his home to find the armoured man has murdered his woman, he smiles and chants "
Highlander" before stabbing Connor in the chest just then Connor's clansmen rush in and pull Connor away the armoured man swears he'll be back for Connor just then more enemy clan rush into the scene attacking Connor's clansmen as the armoured man approaches Connor who lies dieing on the muddy ground he stands above Connor and announces "
I am The Kurgan you are but many Highlander" as he holds his blade up high he is pulled away by the enemy clan who warn him others are coming, an ally clan come and nurse Connor but in upcoming weeks are concerned that he lives when he should be dead due to his wound.
As Connor recovers he is attacked by the clan and survivours of the clan MacLeod who belive him to be in line with the Devil, Connor is saved by his friend Angus an older member of the clan MacLeod, Connor is banished and so he journeys deep into the highlands, the scene cuts back to the present the police are all over the movie theatre and detectives are observing the beheaded body of Salvou, Connor who has been trapped in the theatre slips away but is seen by a beautiful police detective Sam Brennar she at first calls for him to stop but then looses him in the crowd outside.
Connor makes it home to his antiques shop he has set up under a fake name 'Russell Nash' there he talks to the receptionist Racheal who asks if the movie he went to see was any good he tells her the movie wasn't as good as the original he looks up to the wall at a framed movie poster of an old movie that was released many years ago he then smiles and states he remembered the opening night being busier than the remake (Yes a joke to this movie).
Meanwhile Sam is looking over security footage of the theatre and notices that Connor and Salvou were obviously together at the time of Salvou's beheading she decides to look more into Connor, as Salvou's sword which was still in his hand when he was beheaded was not the sword that took his head she knows Connor must have had dealings with sword sellers to have gotten the sword, back at the NYPD station she looks up all sword sellers in the area but gets nothing from them regarding Connor, she then recieves news that their was a shard of steel in Salvou's neck left from what ever was used to take his head, he then shows her magnafied images of the shard and Sam is amazed to find how old the steel is.
Connor sits in his luxury home above the antique's store he pours a glass of wine and states to himself that he wouldnt want it sat on the shelf for another hundered years, as he sits back he has a flashback, in 1541 Connor living deep in the highlands is now married to Heather a woman he met after being banished, together they live in an old stone farm house and enjoy a happy life together, one day Connor feels stronge urges to get up and go south he tries to fight these urges until he goes after running south he runs into a strangely dressed man who introuduces himself as Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez a friend.
Connor learns from Ramirez that he is immortal and throughout the world there are many others but it is not an easy way of life as they will always be hunted by other immortals, he teaches him about the game and the rules of the game as well as teaching Connor how to use a sword in a better more talented style than the barbaric style he has always used, the two become good friends during their months together Ramirez tells Connor of the challenges and the overall curse that follows the immortal life stting yous ill see loved ones die always outliving them unless beheaded ending the conversation with "
In the end..... there can be only one" referring to the mysterious price you get for winning the game, One night when Connor is away selling livestock from the farm The Kurgan tracks down his home finding Ramirez who he knows from a previous encounter they fight and The Kurgan wins.
Connor returns to find his home in ruins and his wife in tears they build a new home and live for many happy years but sadly as the years go by Connor watches as Heather ages and eventually dies as he stays young learning that this is the true curse of immortality, he buries Heather and leaves to travel the word taking Ramirez's Katanna as his own.
We get a short montage of him travelling throughout the years showing the good times and hard times meeting new people and fighting unfriendly immortals.
In the present Sam has tracked down Nash Antiques and is shocked to find Connor there who she arrests seeing his cover could be blown Connor then admits to being at the theatre but before he can explain anything Racheal aims a gun at Sam Connor stops her from shooting and Sam leaves telling him she'll be back with a warrant and police officers, Sam out of curiosity looks into Russell Nash shocked to find nothing she takes her research to the death records only to find his name is an amagram made up of dead peoples names (first letters of first names and surnames) she is even more shocked when she comes across a picture of Connor dating back to the 50's yet he looks exactly the same.
Meanwhile a string of beheadings has taken police a city wide search for a big man thats only known as 'Victor' Sam looks into this and a witness tells her of the man and states the man isn't Connor when shown a picture, Sam goes back to the antiques store and questions Racheal who breaks down in tears and tells the story of how Connor saved her as a child during world war two she fears that she will soon die and he will be alone, Connor having over heard this takes Sam upstairs and shows her items from his past lives and proves h is immortal by shooting himself only to be awake in a matter of seconds, Sam feeling over powered by Connor sucomes to his charm and they kiss.
Meanwhile a fellow immortal and friend of Connor's has been in touch and they meet they talk about both being present the day the Statue of Liberty was revealed and he tells Connor it would be a wonderful place to die but then regrets to tell Connor he belives The Kurgan has tracked them both down as he wants to win the game, Connor goes to Sam's home only to find she has left for the night, meanwhile his friend is killed when he faces the Kurgan many witnesses see their fight and the police hunt for The Kurgan.
Connor feeling he must either leave New York and his life behind him or face the Kurgan, returns to Sam's to say goodbye in case The Kurgan defeats him but he is met by other police officers that say Sam has been missing for three days and belive he has done something to her as they have found a picture of Connor in her house, Connor escapes arrest and knocks out the officers before returning home to fhind his store trashed and Racheal left dieing on the floor she manages to tell him the Kurgan has Sam and is at the Statue of Liberty (showing he must have been there when Connor met his friend and heard their conversation).
Once at the statue Connor confronts The Kurgan and they make small talk about how The Kurgan has always missed Connor by days through out the years of hunting for him yet now they meet again it is Connor who tracked The Kurgan down, Sam is shown to be inside the statue of liberty screaming as Connor and The Kurgan come to blows with their swords in hand, after a long fight the two end up on the head of the statue and after getting the upperhand Connor takes The Kurgans head lighting begins to appear and the wind picks up heavily Connor looks towars the lighting and speaks "
There can be only one" taking his quickening which shuts down half of New York police surround Connor but he apparently dies falling from the statue.
A week later Sam is seen quiting the force and says she is going to go travelling she leaves the office and gets into a car the driver is seen to be Connor who obviously lived and warns her that although he defeated The Kurgan the game is not yet finished, Sam interupts and states that she wants to be with him if only for a matter of days, months of years but has one question what wasit like taking the quickening to which Connor looks forward starts the car and says "
Its a kind of magic"