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Thread: Highlander reboot

  1. #1
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    Highlander reboot

    NOVEMBER 22, 2016 9:19am PT by Borys Kit
    'John Wick' Director Chad Stahelski Tackling 'Highlander' Reboot (Exclusive)
    A search for new scribes to work with Stahelski is about to get underway.


    Mike Pont/FilmMagic/Getty Images
    Chad Stahelski

    A search for new scribes to work with Stahelski is about to get underway.
    There can be only one and, in this case, it's Chad Stahelski.

    Stahelski, who, along with David Leitch, was the filmmaker behind John Wick, has signed on to direct the long-gestating reboot of Highlander for Lionsgate.

    "I've been a huge fan of the original property since I saw it in high school," Stahelski told The Hollywood Reporter. "Such great themes of immortality, love, and identity are all wrapped up in such colorful mythology. I can't think of a better property that gives the opportunity to create interesting characters, mythic themes and action set pieces."

    Neal H. Moritz and Peter Davis are producing the project, which could also see Stahelski and Leitch join the team via their 87Eleven production and action stunt company, though that is still to be determined.

    The original 1986 Highlander pic starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown as immortal beings, hunting down one another and collecting more power. Lambert played Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod, Connery portrayed Egyptian Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez and Clancy was a barbarian known as the Kurgan. The film — with its "There can be only one" catchphrase — spawned four sequels and three television series.

    The Highlander reboot has been in the works since 2008 when Lionsgate-owned label Summit acquired the rights. The project has seen directors such as Justin Lin, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and Cedric Nicolas-Troyan pass through its doors.

    But Lionsgate never gave up on what it believes could be its next big franchise. A search for new scribes to work with Stahelski is about to get underway.

    Stahelski worked in the stunt world and doubled for Keanu Reeves in the Matrix movies before co-creating the stunt company 87Eleven with Leitch. They worked as second unit directors on action movies ranging from Ninja Assassin to Captain America: Civil War and made their directorial debut with the well-regarded actioner John Wick, which starred Reeves and was released by Lionsgate.

    Stehelski is coming off of directing the recently wrapped John Wick: Chapter 2. He is repped by WME and Gang Tyre.

    Here's our other Highlander thread and our John Wick 2 thread.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  2. #2
    Thanks Gene.

  3. #3
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    still interested

    John Wick director still wants to reboot Highlander franchise
    CLARK COLLIS
    December 21, 2018 at 11:00 AM EST

    At the start of 2017, John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski confirmed to EW that he was planning to reboot the action-fantasy Highlander franchise.

    “Right now, I’m very interested in doing the Highlander property,” said the director. “It’s scarily similar to John Wick. There’s a great mythology, it’s got an action-design challenge. What would a guy really be like after 500 years of practicing sword-work? I’m still a stunt guy at heart. You want to reinvent gunfights, how do you do it? You want to reinvent swordfighting, how do you do it? And that’s where we are at now. I love the first Highlander and I think I’m in a pretty good spot. The creative team, the producers and the studio that’s behind it have kind of said, ‘It’s yours to play with.’”

    Little has been heard about the project in the time since, and Stahelski himself has been busy directing John Wick: Chapter 3, which opens May 17. But the filmmaker insists that he is still wants to bring a new version of the Highlander saga to the big screen.

    “I still very much want to go in and do Highlander,” says Stahelski.

    That project has competition for the director’s attention.

    “I’m a huge fan of a property I’m involved in, and working on the script now, called Sandman Slim, which I f—ing really really like,” says Stahelski. “It’s a (fantasy) book series by Richard Kadrey. We’re working on the script right now. So, between those two projects, I feel very fortunate.”

    The original Highlander, released in 1986, starred Christopher Lambert as a Scottish warrior who can only be killed by decapitation and Sean Connery as his mentor. Directed by Russell Mulcahy, the film spawned both big-screen sequels and TV shows.
    By chance, I re-watched the original a few weeks ago. Perhaps I'll review my 2018 impressions of that here soon...
    Gene Ching
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  4. #4
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    Stahelski won't f--- it up

    After seeing the John Wick 3 screener last Tuesday, I'm all in with anything that Stahelski does.

    I'll drop that review on KungFuMagazine.com tomorrow.

    'John Wick' director is trying 'not to f--- up' 'Highlander' reboot
    By Clark Collis May 15, 2019 at 10:37 AM EDT



    Director Chad Stahelski has had his hands full for the past five years or so overseeing the John Wick franchise, whose latest entry, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, is released Friday. But the filmmaker has simultaneously been developing a new version of Highlander, the 1986 action-fantasy movie which starred Christopher Lambert as an immortal Scottish warrior. Stahelski had initially discussed the possibility of turning the property in a film trilogy and later talked about maybe bringing the Highlander mythology to the small screen. When EW recently visited Stahelski in the John Wick 3 editing suite, the director gave an update on the project.

    “Still working on the development of that,” said Stahelski. “Highlander is such a massive property. Luckily, the studio (Lionsgate) is really behind me in this. I truly believe this is one of those properties that could actually sustain a good universe, meaning a TV show or something. And to go out there, and just haphazardly throw together what we think would be a quick sword fighting-immortal movie, I think would be a mistake. And honestly, the people behind this, the studio behind this, they’re dying for this to go. If anything, I’m the one holding it back, and trying to creatively lay out everything. We just don’t want to paint ourselves into a corner creatively, like happened with the original.”

    Stahelski was referring to 1991’s Highlander II: The Quickening, in which it is revealed that Lambert’s character is actually an alien. While the franchise would birth more films and several TV shows, both live-action and animated, Highlander II has developed a reputation for being among the most misguided sequels of all-time.

    “We’re trying to really lay out this universe and not f— it up to the point where you cannot continue this story,” said Stahelski. “We love it so much, we’re trying to treat it with a lot of care.”

    Does Stahelski know who he would have star in a new Highlander? “I have my wish list, yeah,” he said.

    Watch the trailer for the original Highlander above.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  5. #5
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    Cavill

    This could work...
    May 21, 2021 12:27pm PT
    Henry Cavill Circling ‘Highlander’ Reboot for Lionsgate

    By Adam B. Vary


    Courtesy of Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection
    There can be only one Highlander, but apparently, Henry Cavill can be many superheroes.

    Adding to his growing list of marquee franchises, the star of “Man of Steel” and Netflix’s “The Witcher” is in negotiations to star in Lionsgate’s reboot of “Highlander,” the 1986 fantasy adventure film that spawned an entire pop-culture ecosystem, including sequels, TV series, tie-in novels, comics and video games.

    Chad Stahelski (“John Wick”) is directing, with Neal H. Moritz, Josh Davis and David Leitch producing. Amanda Lewis, Patrick Wachsberger and Gregory Widen will executive produce. Kerry Williamson (“What Happened to Monday”) is writing.

    Cavill’s role is unclear, but he will be one of two leads in the film. The original film starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod — a Scottish warrior born in the 16th century who learns he is an immortal after he dies in battle, only to come back to life — and Sean Connery as Connor’s mentor, an Egyptian improbably named Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez (although he was born with the name Tak-Ne). Juan teaches Connor that he is one of a small handful of humans who are born with what is called the Quickening, which allows them to live forever — unless they are beheaded. Centuries later in present day New York, Connor faces off against the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), another immortal who is bent on beheading all immortals, thereby becoming the most powerful being on Earth.

    When the film first opened, it was a flop, grossing just $5.9 million domestically, but it was so popular on home video that Lambert and Connery starred in a sequel in 1991, and the franchise expanded from there. A reboot has been in various stages of development for over a decade; directors including Justin Lin and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and stars including Ryan Reynolds and Dave Bautista have all been attached at various points.

    Cavill, meanwhile, has been busy shooting Season 2 of “The Witcher” for Netflix, and he recently signed up to play Sherlock Holmes again opposite Millie Bobby Brown’s titular performance in “Enola Holmes 2.” His days playing Superman, however, appear to be over, with Warner Bros. rebooting the franchise with producer J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Ta-Nehisi Coates.

    Deadline first reported the news.
    Gene Ching
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    Chad Stahelski talks JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4, Keanu Reeves, HIGHLANDER

    Gene Ching
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  7. #7
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    Moving forward

    Lionsgate Moving Forward With Henry Cavill & Chad Stahelski ‘Highlander’ Reboot As Action-Fantasy Pic Heads To AFM To Enliven A Strike-Hit Market
    By Andreas Wiseman
    International Editor
    @AndreasWiseman

    October 27, 2023 8:17am

    Henry Cavill, left, and 'Highlander' with Christopher Lambert
    Clay Enos; Everett Collection

    EXCLUSIVE: In the world of Highlander reboots, there can still only be one…and it’s a good one at that.

    For the first time, Lionsgate will be launching sales at the AFM on their long-gestating fantasy reboot which has Henry Cavill aboard to star as the eponymous Scottish swordsman and John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski set to direct.

    We hear this will be a big-budget proposition, north of $100M. Stahelski himself has previously talked about it as akin to John Wick with swords. The team is eyeing a 2024 start.

    This will be welcome news for AFM buyers whose pool of pre-sale projects has been diminished by the ongoing strike.

    The new movie will be based on the 1986 original, which starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown as immortal beings, hunting down one another and collecting more power. The time-jumping film — with its “There can be only one” tagline — spawned four sequels and three TV series including the popular USA series starring Adrian Paul. Queen memorably provided the soundtrack for the original movie.

    Producing the reboot are Joshua Davis, Fast And The Furious producer Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski (thru his 87Eleven Entertainment production company) and Louise Rosner.

    The current draft of the screenplay is by Mike Finch. The late Peter S. Davis, producer of the original Highlander, initiated development of the new film. Summit first acquired remake rights to the original in 2008.

    Former Superman and The Witcher actor Cavill remains in high demand. Among movies in post are Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle and two Guy Ritchie projects, including WWII pic The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

    Stahelski has directed all four John Wick films, which have been a goldmine for Lionsgate, taking more than $1BN. He previously talked about the new Highlander as the first in a trilogy but we’ve not had word whether that’s still the case.

    Cavill and Stahelski were attached and reported before the strike.

    The arrival of the Highlander reboot is a shot in the arm for the AFM, whose business has been hampered by the SAG-AFTRA strike. This and Kevin Costner’s Horizon movies, which we told you this week would also be on sale, are the two biggest-budget prospects revealed for the market so far. A number of packages haven’t come together or aren’t being officially announced due to strike restrictions or anxiety over optics. Frankly, given the limitations posed by the strike, I’ve been surprised at the number of new or reworked projects that are on sale (many are shooting in Europe). There are still a handful of pre-sales packages for buyers to get their teeth into, even if more action may be done this market on completed and near-completed movies.
    Looking forward to this.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  8. #8
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    It’s a kind of magic

    ‘Highlander’ Remake Will Use Queen Songs From the Original Movie, Director Chad Stahelski Says
    It’s a kind of magic


    Lionsgate
    Drew Taylor
    October 31, 2023 @ 2:10 PM

    One of the more iconic elements of “Highlander,” the high-concept fantasy adventure from 1986 that went on to spawn a long-running franchise, is the movie’s songs, written and performed by Queen. And Chad Stahelski, who will be directing the remake for Lionsgate, says that those songs will return for the new movie.
    “Yes,” Stahelski told TheWrap while talking about the Oscar chances for “John Wick: Chapter 4.” “Probably in a different way than you think, but hardcore yes.”

    Queen wrote and recorded songs for the original “Highlander” and released an album, “A Kind of Magic,” in 1986 that served as an official soundtrack to the movie. (Only one song, a Queen recording of “Theme from New York, New York,” didn’t make the cut and has never been officially released.)

    The songs were perfect for the movie, which depicted a battle between immortal beings known as Highlanders in modern day Manhattan. Instead of Scottish moors, they battle in underground parking garages. That kind of thing. Queen’s songs were wedged in among Michael Kamen’s original score and became part of the tapestry, mixing ancient mythology and high camp, ingeniously designed by Australian filmmaker Russell Mulcahy.



    While the movie failed to make money, it was popular enough to justify a bonkers sequel from Mulcahy (1991’s genuinely unhinged “Highlander II: The Quickening”), a long-running syndicated television series and several more sequels of varying quality.

    “We’re trying to encapsulate everything you loved about the original with more – meaning we want to ground it, we want it to be a great chance at world-building and mythology. But we still want to keep it fun,” Stahelski said. “It’s like the ‘Wick’ movies. You want to experience this world, you want to believe it’s real. But it’s also five degrees off from reality. This is a movie with immortals running around chopping each others’ heads off. There’s a certain ridiculousness to it. It’s like the ‘Wick’s. We ride the tone. Everybody in the movie thinks its real. But we as an audience can get our heads around it – look, suspend disbelief. We’re trying to get you on board for this amazing journey with people who have lived hundreds of years. It’s a challenge. But I’m very excited.”

    Recent reports have suggested that the movie will shoot next year, with Henry Cavill in the role made famous (immortalized, some might say) by a then-largely unknown Christopher Lambert. Who wants to live forever?
    I totally forgot about this song...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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