A remake of the 1986 classic HIGHLANDER has been trudging its way through development hell for about ten years. At one point, the remake was going to be directed by the FAST & FURIOUS franchise's Justin Lin, at another it was going to star Ryan Reynolds, with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo at the helm. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan was attached to direct for a while, and there were rumors that Tom Cruise and Dave Bautista were up for roles. There was just always something that held the project back from heading into production. Now it's looking like the movie might finally be happening, with JOHN WICK director Chad Stahelski being the one who will finally bring the story of swordfighting immortals back to the big screen.
Ryan Condal, creator of the television series Colony and screenwriter on the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson films HERCULES and RAMPAGE, has delivered a script for the remake to Lionsgate, and it looks like they're moving forward with it, planning to put HIGHLANDER into pre-production later this year.
Directed by Russell Mulcahy from a screenplay by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, and Larry Ferguson, the original HIGHLANDER starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The story:
When Scottish clansman Connor MacLeod discovers his true identity as a member of a legion of immortals, he embarks on a legendary journey spanning continents and centuries, eventually landing in modern-day New York City. Connor faces his ultimate test when other immortals begin to appear in the city, leading to a titanic showdown where only one can claim victory.
The remake is being produced by Neal H. Moritz. Unlike the original, which completed the story of its immortals in one film and forced the sequels to find loopholes to explain their existence, this new take on the material has been developed with the thought of its franchise potential in mind. Lionsgate's Patrick Wachsberger told Deadline,
We’ve finally got a screenplay we’re happy with. We have set up the story so it has sequel potential."
It has been said that Stahelski is planning a HIGHLANDER trilogy.
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