A Highlander reboot has been in development in one form or another for over a decade and a half, but the project has finally been making significant progress over the last few years. One of the biggest steps forward has been the casting of Henry Cavill, who’s had a lot to say about the project since he came aboard in 2021. Although plot details for this take on the Highlander mythology are still being shrouded in secrecy, Cavill has opened up about what drew him to the franchise.
Cavill has been making the press rounds promoting his new movie Argylle, which is currently playing in theaters and will later become available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription. Among the places he’s stopped by Happy Sad Confused, and while chatting with host Josh Horowitz alongside director Matthew Vaughn, he had the following to say about why the Highlander franchise appeals to him:
I'm going to have to answer that very carefully. I was - am - a Highlander fan. They were great fun movies. Obviously, I watched them when I was a lot younger, and since rewatched. But also the TV show; I really enjoyed the lore behind it. That sense of a tragic warrior with more of a story to tell than just a cool guy with a cool sword doing cool things. And this goes even deeper into that.
The original Highlander starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, a warrior from the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century who’s among the few humans on Earth born immortal and invincible unless they’re beheaded. Fast-forward to New York in 1985, Connor and Earth’s few remaining immortals took place in The Gathering to complete The Prize, the power of all the immortals from throughout time. Four film sequels followed, with the latter two being released directly to video, and now the time has come to revive the Highlander property for the big screen, with Chad Stahelski taking the directorial reins on the reboot.
There was also the Highlander TV series Henry Cavill mentioned that ran from 1992 to 1998, followed Duncan MacLeod and took place in a different post-first movie continuity compared to the movies. Additionally an animated series ran from 1994 to 1996, as well as the short-loved Highlander: The Raven that aired its 22 episodes in 1998. Cavill’s clearly a fan of that first show as much as he was the movies, if not more son, but when Horotwiz brought up how Stahelski had told himhe wants to explore some of the small screen lore for the reboot, the actor responded:
I can't speak to that at the moment. What they've done so far and what we're doing with the development of the script is extraordinary. I think people are gonna be really, really pleased.
Again, we don’t know the specifics yet of how this Highlander reboot will differentiate itself from the previous projects, but Chad Stahelski has said he intends to “upgrade” the franchise for a new generation. Filming is reportedly expected to begin sometime later this year, but Lionsgate doesn’t plan on releasing the reboot until sometime in 2026. If cameras are indeed rolling soon, that means it won’t be too long until finally start learning who will join Henry Cavill in the Highlander cast.
While we wait for more news on what the Highlander reboot holds in store, remember that the original movie can be streamed with a Peacock subscription. Henry Cavill can next be seen in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which opens April 19 on the 2024 movies schedule.
