The return of theHighlanderis finally upon us. Fans of the iconic 80s franchise about an immortal warrior have been awaiting the arrival of John Wick director Chad Stahelski’s planned reboot led byMan of Steel’sHenry Cavillfor what feels like eternity, and finally, while attending the premiere of new action thrillerFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerina, the filmmaker gave us the update they’ve been waiting for.
Asked by Deadline about the highly anticipated project,Chad Stahelskikept it short and sweet, but did provide some crucial details which reveal that, finally, theHighlanderreboot is a go.
“There can be only one, I guess right? No, we’re in active prep right now, we plan to be shooting by mid-September starting off in London. I hope it’s good!”
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But will it go straight to streaming?
TheHighlanderreboot is expected to follow a similar plot to the 1986 original,which follows swordsman Connor MacLeodas he discovers that he is one of a number of immortal warriors who can be killed only by beheading. After living somewhat peacefully for several centuries, MacLeod settles in New York City and is soon dragged back onto the battlefield when his greatest enemy returns to kill him and thus obtain “The Prize,” which sees the last surviving immortal obtain all the power and knowledge of his fellow, now dead, immortals.
‘Highlander’ Is Expected To Be Released in 2026
Thanks to his prior role in Netflix’sThe Witcher,Henry Cavill is no stranger to swordplay, which is expected to once again play a major role in this newHighlandersaga.Stahelski has previously teased his approachto the sword fighting in the reboot, with the filmmaker promising intense action sequences much like in John Wick while admitting that using swords is much harder to choreograph than guns.
“Swords, to me, are of one of the trickiest things to do in fight scenes, because if I mess up too much with the firearm, the muzzle flashes are digital. So we don’t have to worry about hurting anyone. When we do car stuff, that’s also a big concern. But there’s ways now, cables that take some of the hazards out for the cast.
Swords, it’s a little trickier because now I got to trust that my actors are swinging this piece of metal at each other, and hopefully not gonna take their eyes out or stab somebody. Every sword movie, somebody gets poked or hit on the head or something like that. It takes a little bit more skill and a little bit more dedication. So that’s always a concern.”
TheHighlanderreboot is also expected tomake a few changes to the 80s original, with Stahelski revealing previously that this new take on the beloved franchise will not only include swordplay but martial arts as well, transforming Cavill into a 500-year-old expert martial artist.
“There’s a chance to play a character that not a lot of people get to play. And it’s a bit of a love story, but not how you think. On John Wick, I learned a lot on how to bend the storytelling a little… another kind of myth. My selling point was, to [Henry Cavill], look, you’ve got a guy that’s been alive for over 500 years. He’s the last person in the world that wanted to be in this situation. So you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc there. And you get to experience someone that’s trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts…”
Highlanderis expected to bereleased in 2026 courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Meanwhile,From the World of John Wick: Ballerinais all set to land in theaters on June 6.
