After Henry Cavill stepped down from the role of Witcher, many fans were also sad. However, fans of the actor do not have to say goodbye to the fantasy genre. He will take on the lead role in a reboot of a legendary movie and makes big promises.
Which movie is it about? It has long been known that the fantasy classic Highlander from 1986, starring Christopher Lambert, is getting a remake. MacLeod is the hero of this film, who, as an Immortal
, journeys through multiple time periods and fights against other immortals. The people behind the remake have made their appearances:
- Chad Stahelski will direct. The former stuntman is one of the minds behind the John Wick series.
- Henry Cavill will take on the lead role as the Scottish fighter MacLeod.
- Russell Crowe plays Ramirez.
- Dave Bautista plays the villain Kurgan.
In 2024, Henry Cavill even suggested that he would fight more spectacularly in the film than in his role as Geralt in the Witcher series. He said about Highlander: If you think you’ve seen me work with a sword before, you haven’t seen anything yet
(Source: The Hollywood Reporter).
Henry Cavill, who is also making his Warhammer fans crazy, is not the only one promoting Highlander with big promises.
Liam Hemsworth has taken over the role of Geralt for Season 4:
Even the villain of the new film promises great things
What does Dave Bautista say about the new Highlander remake? In an interview with Collider, Dave Bautista, who will play the villain Kurgan, recently spoke about the new Highlander film. He himself stated that he is a huge fan of the original and that he has wanted the role of Kurgan for a long time.
He loves the original performance by Clancy Brown and overall, Kurgan is a villain he loves to hate. I enjoy being the bad guy, and that was the kind of role I’ve been looking for in terms of a villain.
In his interview, he also addresses the action fans. The action is said to be on par with John Wick. In addition, he promises a grand universe:
We still pay tribute to the original and make a nod to it, but we are doing it anew, fresh, and exciting, and we are also just building a new universe. It’s simply bigger than the original. […] I don’t want to give anything away, but I believe people will be excited because it’s bigger than one can imagine, and it is new enough that you won’t see the same thing. If one has seen the original, one still won’t know what the story is.
Dave Bautista on the Highlander reboot (Source: Collider)
Throughout the interview, he emphasizes that the remake should feel different from the original. He even calls it a high-speed version of Highlander
. However, what exactly is meant by that is unclear.
How can we contextualize the statements of the actors? Interviews before a film’s release are always PR, and thus statements like simply so much bigger
or new universe
should always be taken with caution. After the first film in 1986, sequels emerged in the franchise. This included about 4 films, 3 series, and an anime film.
However, regarding the statements about action, also concerning sword fighting, one can be quite optimistic. In all John Wick installments, Chad Stahelski has shown that as a former stuntman, he knows how to direct action and can even drift into the absurd. This would fit well with a franchise like Highlander. It will be exciting to see how he focuses on sword fighting.
When will the Highlander remake be released? So far, there is no concrete release date. Moreover, filming has not yet started. In an interview, Chad Stahelski mentioned 2027 or 2028 (Source: Collider).
Are you looking forward to it, or do you not care about the franchise? Feel free to let us know in the comments. There was also a big focus on sword fighting in the Witcher series. But how good was it actually? Expert on sword fighting explains how well Henry Cavill fights as Witcher
