Last month, we reported that John Wick director Chad Stahelski was hard at work behind the scenes, determined to line up every detail for his long-gestating Highlander reboot. With Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, The Witcher) attached to star, Stahelski was racing against the clock to get everything in place for a planned start of filming this fall.
While walking the red carpet for the premiere of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Stahelski confirmed that filming would begin, "mid-September, starting off in London."
Stahelski, renowned for his action pedigree, recently offered a fascinating glimpse into his pitch to new lead actor Henry Cavill, hinting at the rich character arc awaiting the star.
Stahelski revealed his compelling argument to Cavill: "My selling point was, to [Henry 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." This approach promises a nuanced portrayal, allowing Cavill to explore a broad spectrum of human emotion and development across centuries.
"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," Stahelski added, exciting fans about the potential for Cavill to showcase his extensive combat training.
While the Highlander reboot appears to be first in line, Henry Cavill has a robust pipeline of high-profile projects brewing at Amazon. Beyond taking on the mantle of an immortal, he's also set to star in and spearhead the development of the studio's ambitious Warhammer 40,000 cinematic universe, a massive undertaking for fans of the grimdark sci-fi franchise.
Additionally, Cavill is slated to star in MGM's forthcoming live-action Voltron movie, further solidifying his status as a leading man in genre cinema.
For the uninitiated, the Highlander narrative revolves around a secret society of immortals hidden among humanity. These beings are locked in a timeless, deadly contest known as The Gathering, where they must hunt and decapitate one another. The ultimate victor, the last remaining immortal, is destined to gain unimaginable power.
Though the precise origins of The Gathering remain shrouded in mystery within the franchise, the overarching premise is that these immortals have existed since the dawn of time, bound by a stringent set of rules:
- Combat on Holy Ground is forbidden.
- Encounters must always be one-on-one.
- In the end, there can only be one.
The Highlander saga first captivated audiences with its 1986 action-fantasy film, which starred Christopher Lambert as the iconic Scottish swordsman, Connor MacLeod. That cult classic spawned four direct sequels, expanding the lore and adventures of its immortal characters.
The franchise's popularity truly exploded with the spin-off television series, which premiered in 1992. Starring Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod, a fellow immortal and descendant of Connor, the show proved to be a massive hit, running for an impressive 119 episodes across six seasons. Its success even led to two spin-off series of its own, cementing Highlander's place as a beloved and enduring fixture in pop culture.