There's a huge amount of excitement surrounding John Wick director Chad Stahelski's long-awaited Highlander reboot. Those of you who have seen the original 1986 movie will be familiar with the franchise's premise, but this is a modern reimagining, and that's sure to lead to some changes.
The cast will be led by The Witcher star Henry Cavill as Connor, with Dune's Dave Bautista set to take on the role of the villainous Kurgan. Exploring Connor's centuries-old feud with his fellow powerful immortals, the first Highlander movie followed them in a fight to the death to absorb each other's powers. In the end, there can be "only one."
Thanks to Daniel Richtman (via SFFGazette.com), we have the first synopsis for the new Highlander, and it sounds very much like what you'd expect. However, it appears the stakes will be even higher this time.
"Centuries after his first death on a Scottish battlefield, immortal warrior Connor MacLeod lives quietly in the modern world, haunted by loss and the endless cycle of violence among his kind," it reads. "When the ruthless immortal Kurgan resurfaces, backed by a secret organization bent on unlocking the secret of eternal life, Connor is forced back into the Game - an ancient battle where 'there can be only one.'"
"Guided by his mentor Ramírez and a mortal ally, archaeologist Kate Bennett, Connor must confront his past and rediscover his purpose. As immortals clash across time and continents, the fight for the mysterious 'Prize' becomes a battle for humanity’s soul," the synopsis concludes.
This epic backdrop, combined with Stahelski's penchant for phenomenal action scenes, should lead to a must-see new take on Highlander.
Marisa Abela is expected to play Kate, with Russell Crowe taking on the role of Ramírez. As noted, Cavill leads the cast, but is currently sidelined with an injury suffered while preparing to shoot the movie. Filming is now expected to begin early next year.
"We're bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the Highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong, and seeing how it goes," Stahelski said of the movie last year. "There's big opportunity for action. There's a chance to play a character that not a lot of people get to play. And it's a bit of a love story, but not how you think. On John Wick, I learned a lot on how to bend the storytelling a little."
"My selling point was, to [Cavill], look, you've got a guy that's been alive for over 500 years. He's the last person in the world that wanted to be in this situation," the filmmaker continued. "So you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc there. And you get to experience someone that's trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts."
Highlander, written by Michael Finch, stars Henry Cavill, Dave Bautista, Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Max Zhang, and Drew McIntyre. The movie isn't expected to be released until 2027 or 2028.