Highlander Reboot Has Henry Cavill in Talks to Star

A reboot of the ’80s fantasy film Highlander has been talked about for years, with a new report from Deadline claiming that Henry Cavill is in talks to star in the reboot from John Wick director Chad Stahelski. Given the acclaim Cavill has earned as a sword-swinger in Netflix’s The Witcher, it’s easy to see how he could be a frontrunner for a film about immortal swordfighters. Christopher Lambert starred in the original film, which also featured Clancy Brown and Sean Connery. There is no current timeline for when the project could move forward and does not have a release date.

The outlet notes that it’s currently unclear if this new film will be a remake of the debut 1986 film or if it will be a new revival of the concept. The original movie earned four sequels and multiple TV series adaptations. The concept focuses on a group of immortal warriors who track one another down to compete in combat to become the most powerful, earning the film its iconic catchphrase, “There can be only one.”

The last live-action adaptation of the concept was the 2007 sequel Highlander: The Source, though the series has also been adapted for animated and comic book projects. Considering Cavill’s commitments to The Witcher, it’s unknown when this new Highlander could move forward. Additionally, Stahelski has previously hinted that the project could take the shape of a series as opposed to a film, with that possibility still seeming likely.

Given the nature of the series and revivals of beloved properties in general, surely some audiences will wonder how a new Highlander will connect to previous iterations, but one thing audiences shouldn’t expect is to see Brown reprise his role of “The Kurgan.”

“Oh, no. My character’s dead. He got his head cut off. That’s not happening anymore,” Brown shared with ComicBook.com about a possible return. “I’m looking forward to the reboot. I hope it gets done. I can’t wait. I would love to see it, but I don’t have any aspirations to be part of that franchise.”

He added, “It was of its time. There’s no reason for me to [return], I did my time. I did my bit. It’s time for other people to have fun with it.”

Stay tuned for details on the new Highlander.

Are you looking forward to a new Highlander? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!