We finally have a look at Henry Cavill in the Highlander reboot that looks like a gritty adventure!
These days, it’s easy to find some classic 1980s movies getting the reboot treatment. Somehow, Highlander works better than others, given it’s all about a race of people who can’t die. The original 1986 film is still loved (its sequels are another story) and spawned a successful TV show as well that ran for six seasons.
Now, we have the first look at the upcoming movie reboot with star Henry Cavill sharing images of himself as the 450-year-old Scottish warrior Connor MacLeod. The actor showed it on his own Instagram page with some nice comments.
“Happy First Look for Highlander! This has been quite the journey for me, which I'll tell you all about when the time is right, but it's a special moment to be able to share this. I hope you enjoy," Cavill wrote.
The images have Cavill in what looks like a temple with candles and then in a church. As Highlander fans know, a key rule of Immortals is that they can’t fight on holy ground, so it may be Connor confronting an enemy on a safe site or taking refuge.
The film is directed by Chad Stahelski, the man who made the John Wick franchise into a powerhouse. He’s thus likely to add some spectacular action for this remake, aided by a large budget and one of the best movie storylines around.
What is Highlander?
The original 1986 Highlander centered on Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), killed in battle in Scotland in 1530. He’s revived to become part of a race of Immortals who can recover from any wound except decapitation. Connor is trained by the warrior Ramirez (Sean Connery), living through the centuries to modern New York, where he has to face the evil Kurgan (Clancy Brown).
Immortals engage in “The Game,” where two duel it out with swords, with the winner taking his enemy’s head. This sets off the Quickening, a massive energy storm that imbues the winner with his victim’s power. The idea is that there will be a Gathering where the last Immortals fight it out for “the Prize” of ultimate power. That birthed the catchphrase, “There can be only one.”
The film was a cult favorite, spawning a 1991 sequel regularly cited as one of the worst genre movies ever and a slightly better 1994 entry. It became more famous with the syndicated TV series starring Adrian Paul as Connor’s kinsman Duncan, with Lambert making a cameo. That spawned a 2000 film, Highlander: Endgame, teaming up the pair.
Besides Cavill, the remake stars Russell Crowe as Ramirez, Dave Bautista as the Kurgan, Karen Gillian as Connor’s love Heather, and Jeremy Irons, Marisa Abela, Djimon Hounsou, Drew McIntyre, and Max Zhang.
The movie is just starting filming after a delay when Cavill was injured practicing his sword fighting. Given his great love of action roles and aura of a timeless fighter (just see The Witcher), it looks like Cavill is ready to make this new Highlander as timeless as the original!
Highlander is expected to premiere in theaters in 2027.