It has been said that “there can only be one Highlander,” but it appears that there is another one on the way which is also one of the most exciting upcoming Henry Cavill movies. The original cult favorite fantasy adventure from 1986 about eternal life and epic sword fights would begat a long-running franchise — including many feature-length sequels, two TV series (one live-action and one animated), and even comic books — that is finally continuing on the big screen.
So, what will be the story in this eagerly anticipated Highlander reboot, who is the director wielding the sword this time, and will original star Christopher Lambert make a cameo? There is only so much that we can confidently tell you about the film at the moment, so we will just take things one at a time in our guide below.
What Is The Highlander Release Date?
As of November 2024, the Highlander reboot does not have an official release date. However, based on what we know about the production details (more on that later), we can say that we will not have to wait an eternal amount of time to see the picture and a spot on the upcoming 2025 movie schedule is not out of the question either.
Henry Cavill Leads The Highlander Cast
Having played the Man of Steel in some of the best Superman movies, master detective Sherlock Holmes in Netflix’s Enola Holmes movies, and Geralt Rivia in the Netflix series adaption of The Witcher, Henry Cavill has filled the shoes of quite a few iconic roles throughout his career so far. He is about to add yet another to his resume as the lead of the Highlander reboot.
That being said, specific details regarding his role have not yet been revealed, nor do we know if he is portraying a previously established character from the franchise or breathing life into an entirely new one. The English actor is also the only confirmed member of the new Highlander cast at the moment.
What Highlander Is About
As established, Highlander is a new installment in an enduring franchise that was kicked off in 1986 with the release of director Russell Mulcahy’s cult favorite hit. The original tells the story of Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) — a Scottish warrior who discovers he has been born with the gift of eternal life and invincibility and is taught more about his kind and the ways of the sword by fellow immortal Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (the late Sean Connery). Centuries later, in the modern day, Connor must face off against the only other remaining person of his kind — the evil Kurgan (Clancy Brown, in one of his best movies) — and fulfill the prophecy that, in the end, there can only be one.
Director Chad Stahelski told The Direct that the remake, which is apparently a love story of sorts, will start in the 16th Century before flashing forward to modern-day New York and Hong Kong and we can likely infer that we are bound to see more sword fights. Cavill, who calls himself a fan of the original, has expressed pleasant things about the reboot, teasing that it is “going deep” into lore, more so than the first three films did. The actor also promised during Lionsgate’s panel at CinemaCon 2024 that, if his fans were impressed with his swordplay in The Witcher, they “haven’t seen anything.”
Chad Stahelski Directs Highlander
If there is one thing that makes us confident that the fight choreography in this reboot will be next-level more than Cavill’s own praise, it is the fact that the film is being helmed by one of the most esteemed action movie directors working today. Back in 2016, it was announced that the aforementioned Chad Stahelski is directing Highlander — just two years after he made his directorial debut with one of the best action movies of all time, John Wick.
The former stunt performer and coordinator, who risked life and limb on the set of classics like The Matrix, would go on to helm the following three John Wick movies — which also have a spin-off called Ballerina on the way. While he has produced other films, such as Netflix’s vampire comedy Day Shift from 2022, Highlander is his first directorial effort outside of the franchise.
Queen’s Original Highlander Soundtrack Will Be Involved
One of the most essential elements of the original Highlander is its kick-ass original songs, courtesy of the legendary rock band, Queen, whose 1986 album A Kind of Magic served as its official soundtrack. Apparently, music by Freddy Mercury and co. will be involved in some way in the reboot, based on Chad Stahelski’s answer to The Wrap’s question regarding if he plans to use any of the same songs:
Yes. Probably in a different way than you think, but hardcore yes.
A recent example of a follow-up to a classic ‘80s movie using music from its predecessor was in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which even opened Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On” — the same song that played at the beginning of Eddie Murphy’s original adventure as Axel Foley in 1984. However Stahelski and co. plan to feature Queen’s compositions for Highlander has us intrigued.
Highlander Starts Shooting In January 2025
In June 2024, Stahelski exclusively told Collider that he plans to begin production on Highlander in early next year. The film will also be shot on location in Scotland, so you can bet that it will be a beautiful sight.
However, a recent report by The Wrap says that the fantasy film is experiencing a delay, which Lionsgate claims was due to Cavill's commitment to Voltron adaptation by Amazon. Yet, the article also says it might have to do with Stahelski being tasked with reshoots for Ballerina.
How To Watch The Original Highlander Franchise
Fans of Henry Cavill and/or Chad Stahelski who are curious about their upcoming collaboration, but have never seen any of the five original Highlander movies (and its live-action series), might want to start doing their homework. Ask any fan and they will likely tell you that watching beyond the first installment is optional, but if you choose to watch the widely disliked Highlander II: The Quickening, may we recommend “The Renegade Cut,” which was director Russell Mulcahy’s attempt to reconstruct it to better reflect his intention.
- Stream Highlander on Amazon Prime
- Stream Highlander II: The Quickening on Amazon Prime
- Stream Highlander III: The Final Dimension on Pluto TV
- Stream Highlander: The Series on Freevee through Amazon
- Rent or buy Highlander: Endgame on Amazon
- Stream Highlander: The Source on Amazon Prime
Like we said, there can only be one Highlander but, hopefully, this reboot will have fans begging for even more!
