Adrian Paul must be out of the “maybe he’ll play Bond” rumor mix, he’s heading back to the realm of Highlander.
Though the Highlander films have managed to be consistently bad (except for that really cool first one), Adrian has found someone willing to give him enough money to make a fifth film in the series. In fact, Paul will be producing this time and promises a film with the quality of the brilliant Highlander television series that spawned him into semi-stardom. He had this to say on his website: “Well, this time I am executive-producing it. Brett Leonard [Lawnmower Man] is set to direct. Be ready to see a new Highlander film that has the quality of [the] television ... series, with a new sound and look for 2006."
In most cases, a movie with the quality of a television show is a rather nasty step down, but in the case of the blighted Highlander franchise it’d be a huge step up. The last film, Highlander: Endgame brought Adrian Paul’s Duncan MacLeod character from the television show into the world of the films, but did so with all the traditional ineptness of the movies rather than the thoughtful, stylish flair of the much superior TV show. Giving Adrian Paul a little creative control might mean they’ll finally do what should have been done with the last film… that is forget those other Highlander sequels and just bring the TV show to the big screen.
Of course at this point you’ve got to wonder if there’s anyone left to care. Most Highlander fans were driven off long ago by the franchise’s complete mismanagement. We’re all pretty content at this point to sit around hugging our “Highlander: The Series” DVD box sets, there’s not much interest left for another stab at movies.
Whether we want it or not, Paul says the film will go into preproduction later this year with a script being finished up by Highlander: The Series writer David Abramowitz.
