Henry Cavill's Long-Awaited 'Highlander' Reboot Is Closer Than Ever After Exciting Update

The long (and we mean long) awaited reboot of the beloved action fantasy franchise Highlander is closer than ever before. Speaking exclusively with MovieWeb’s own George Edelman, director Chad Stahelski has now confirmed that the Highlander reboot, which will star former Superman Henry Cavill as the titular immortal warrior, is his next project.

Alongside Highlander, Stahelski is also busy crafting the ever-growing world of John Wick, and while reflecting on taking his time and being careful when expanding the franchise, and the franchises to come, the director revealed that he has been scouting in New York for the Highlander reboot and will finally helm the project next. Check out what Stahelski had to say below...

“But I am focused on the John Wick world, and I'm trying to infuse things I love into the right fit. But the real growth happens afterwards, when you have time to reflect on all the sh*tty mistakes you made and all the things that I could have done better, and then you get the new influence of the filter effect of life. Like, just going to New York for a week and scouting there [for Highlander]...I'm doing Highlander next. So now I'm in that kind of mode.”

'Highlander' Finds Henry Cavill in the Lead as a 500-Year-Old Martial Arts Expert

The Highlander reboot is expected to follow a similar plot to the 1986 original, which follows swordsman Connor MacLeod as 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.” However, the reboot will make some changes along the way, with Stahelski revealing that the stort will transform Cavill’s immortal into 500-year-old expert martial artist.

"And we're bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong, and seeing how it goes. There's big opportunity for action. 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..."

 

Highlander is expected to be released in 2026. Meanwhile, the John Wick franchise will grow with next month’s spin-off From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, as well as the documentary Wick Is Pain, which is due to be released on digital on May 9.