Henry Cavill has been keeping quite busy over the last several years. Along with his original Superman performance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League finally being shown on HBO Max, the actor has also starred in the hit Netflix series The Witcher and starred in movies like Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Enola Holmes. Now it looks like he may have found his next big franchise: Highlander.
A Highlander reboot has been in development for nearly a decade and a half now, and the latest update on this project is that Henry Cavill is being eyed to lead it. According to Deadline, it’s unclear whether Cavill would play a brand-new character in the Highlander reboot or deliver a new take on a character from past movies, but apparently Lionsgate is interested in bringing him aboard.
Although it was recently announced that Henry Cavill will reprise Sherlock Holmes in Netflix’s Enola Holmes 2, taking part in the new Highlander movie would give the actor another opportunity to anchor a franchise. After all, it doesn’t look like his version of Superman is returning anytime soon (if at all), especially considering the Superman reboot in development that Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing and J.J. Abrams is producing, which will reportedly feature a Black actor playing Kal-El/Clark Kent. That said, Cavill is also still attached to The Witcher, so assuming Netflix isn’t canceling the series after Season 2 airs later this year, it might be tricky fitting Highlander into his schedule.
However, should Henry Cavill officially sign onto Highlander, it’ll mark the first big step forward for this project, which has been stuck in development hell since 2008. Directors like Justin Lin and actors like Ryan Reynolds have come and gone from the reboot over the years, but according to Deadline’s report, it’s now put in a position to “to get into production.” Currently the behind-the-scenes talent attached to Highlander include John Wick’s Chad Stahelski as the director and producer alongside Neal H. Moritz, Josh Davis and David Leitch, while Amanda Lewis, Patrick Wachsberger and Gregory Widen will executive produce.
For those unfamiliar with the Highlander franchise, the original movie, which was released in 1986, starred Christopher Lambert as Conner MacLeod, who was born in the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century and is one of numerous individuals who are immortal thanks to an energy called the Quickening, although they can still die if beheaded. These immortals fight one another until only a few remain standing, and those few will then pick one another off until the victor wins the “Prize.” Three theatrical Highlander sequels followed between 1991 and 2000, and the TV movie Highlander: The Source aired on the then-Sci-Fi channel in 2007. There was also a live-action Highlander TV series that aired from 1992 to 1998, serving as an alternate sequel to the original movie.
It’s easy enough to imagine Henry Cavill playing Conner MacLeod if this new Highlander movie is a full-blown reboot of the franchise, i.e. resetting continuity. However, if the movie is more of a “loose” reboot and is still somewhat connected to the original film series, then naturally Cavill would play a new character. In any case, whoever this individual is will be one of the lead roles. Back in 2015, Dave Bautista was cast as The Kurgan (who Clancy Brown played in the original Highlander), but with so much time having passed, it’s unclear if he’s still involved with the project.
Naturally we here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on more Highlander reboot news, including if it’s announced that Henry Cavill is officially onboard. For now, keep track of movies that are coming later this year with our 2021 release schedule.
