Henry Cavill’s next big fantasy adventure is one step closer to the big screen, as the Highlander reboot receives a major filming update. The reimagining of the Scottish-set sci-fi cult classic will go into production in early 2025, according to director Chad Stahelski.
Speaking to Collider recently, the John Wick director gave a positive update on the reboot. “We start shooting in Scotland in January, so I’m going there right after I leave,” he said at the Mediterranean Film Festival in Malta. “On Monday, I’m going to Scotland to do the final location scouting.”
Not much is known yet about what the new version of Highlander will look like, but we suspect it will be based on the original premise of an immortal Scottish swordsman tasked with saving humanity. The first film came out in 1986 and Christopher Lambert played Connor MacLeod, the titular Highlander. The film was a hit with audiences and evolved into a franchise that included animated films, comic books, television shows, and several film sequels.
Stahelski added to Collider that he will take inspiration from the action in the John Wick films, but isn’t concerned with it being one sword action scene after another. “I’m going to keep it to the basics. Most viewers – I use the gun analogy – know most about gunfights or chases, because most of us don’t participate in gunfights or chases or swordfights, we learn it through movies,” he added.
“And what those movies show is 95% bullshit. You don’t fight 50 guys with your bare hands and then walk away, but it’s fun. It’s wish fulfillment. So, John Wick, we know it’s a cartoon – I know it’s not – but we have fun with it too. But we do tactical reloading, we try to do fire manipulation, stuff like the pros, the military. But then we have fun with it, you know? Sword fighting is very similar.”
Cavill also seems very excited about the upcoming adaptation, in which he returns to his roots as a fantasy swordsman after leaving The Witcher last year. In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he had already hinted at how the film would develop.
“What they’ve done so far and what we’re doing with the development of the script is extraordinary. I think people are going to be really, really pleased,” said the former Superman. “Big swings are important, you play it safe and just say, ‘Eh, I guess it’s OK?’ But when you make big swings, people either love it or they hate it.”
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