It's a union of two of the biggest talents in showbiz today. Five years after Henry Cavill was announced as the lead of the Highlander reboot directed by Chad Stahelski, we finally have confirmation from the star himself about the project's existence. On Wednesday, the Man of Steel and Witcher actor dropped a couple of stills revealing him in the character played by Christopher Lambert in the original film, the 1986 cult favourite.
While sharing two first-look images on his Instagram handle, Cavill wrote: “Happy First Look for Highlander! This has been quite the journey for me, which I’ll tell you all about when the time is right, but it’s a special moment to be able to share this. I hope you enjoy.”
Cavill is also reuniting with actor Russell Crowe, with whom he worked in Man of Steel. Crowe plays the character originally played by Sean Connery. Meanwhile, the principal antagonist, essayed by Clancy Brown in the original film, is now in the hands of Dave Bautista. Jeremy Irons is also part of the reboot in an integral role.
The first-look images hint that Stahelski is making Highlander look as eye-catching and visually rich as all the John Wick movies he directed. It shouldn't come as a surprise since the first film was noted for the same qualities. The reboot is also blessed with the presence of cinematographer Dan Laustsen, who shot the last three John Wick movies and Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein.
Other cast members include Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Dave Bautista, Marisa Abela and Max Zhang. The screenplay is credited to Michael Finch, with additional inputs from Ryan J. Condal and Kerry Williamson.
An action-fantasy adventure that sees a Scottish warrior from the 16th century fighting his nemesis in the present era, the original Highlander was not a box office success but eventually became a talking point for genre enthusiasts. It's also renowned for its remarkable visual quality and production design, earning it a status as one of the quintessential 80s action movies. It spawned several sequels, a TV series and spinoff novelisations.
