Henry Cavill’s ‘Highlander’ Remake Is Sounding Better Than Anyone Expected

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I never wanted a Highlander remake.

I mean, I love the original 1986 film with Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery. I loved the series with Adrian Paul. Aaaaand I’ll admit I even have a soft spot for Highlander II. The movie is absolutely ridiculous, but there are things about it I genuinely like.

But the original is such a product of its time with that Queen soundtrack and those gritty 1980s New York streets. I just could see a million different ways that Hollywood could screw this up, and I’d just rather they leave it alone than botch it.

Highlander‘s First Test Screenings Changed My Mind

But a few days ago I stumbled on a video about the remake by a YouTube channel called Highlander Lore. In the video, David, the channel’s creator, relays information his inside source passed on to him about a test screening the source attended recently. And based on what David’s source had to say — and I honestly can’t believe I’m saying this — I am now firmly in the optimistic camp on the Highlander remake. 

If you’re a hardcore Highlander fan, you should go listen to David’s video, but here are a few things that helped sway me on this thing.

 

Earth: 2040

First things first: The Highlander remake is set in 2040. The second I heard that, I just started picturing something like Strange Days meets Highlander–and that just sounds cool to me. Now that may not be at all what the film ends up being, but either way, I’m partial to near-future settings, and that’s enough to change my interest level on its own. 

In fact, it’s one of the main things I liked about Highlander II, despite that film’s many flaws.

There’s just something interesting about a world that is slightly different from our own. Stories like this require some restraint and a different kind of world-building than you see in movies that are set way into the future. And for some reason, I just tend to find them interesting. 

Jaw-Dropping Sword Fights

Anyway, David’s source went on to say that the sword fighting scenes were “jaw-dropping”. Which isn’t really surprising considering what the director Chad Stahelski has done in the John Wick films, but it’s nice to hear. 

His source also described the fight sequences as “Hong Kong style”, and to be honest, I’m not really sure how I feel about that. I’d like to see the action be exciting and dynamic but still grounded and not so overdone like the lightsaber battles in the Star Wars prequels. 

Again, though, Stahelski is in the director’s chair, so I gotta give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to action. 

Cavill and Crowe

The source also had high praise for Henry Cavill, saying it was his best work to date. Apparently, his version of Connor MacLeod is a little more gloomy and emotionally scarred, and that sounds interesting to me, because one of the main themes of the movie and TV series is how difficult losing friends and loved ones can be for these immortals. That’s fertile soil for some human drama. 

Another casting choice I really like is Russell Crowe as Ramirez. The source said Crowe is charismatic and funny, and I can just picture Crowe bringing a lot to the role.

The Watchers

David’s source also said that the Watchers from the TV series feature in the film, though to what extent I’m not really sure. But they did say that Jeremy Irons plays one of the Watchers, and that sounds like great casting to me. 

But I also think that bringing in the Watchers from the TV mythology is a solid idea, because it opens up other opportunities for conflict. The Watchers are ordinary people observing this conflict and going, “Wait a minute, what’s this prize business all about?” And from that perspective, you can see why humanity might be a bit nervous about the whole Gathering thing. 

A Highlander Cinematic Universe?

This brings me to my final point, and this might be considered a mild spoiler, so I am giving you fair warning if you want to remain completely unspoiled.

Still reading? Okay, the source made it clear that this movie differs from the original in that it clearly is setting up a sequel. Probably a series of sequels, if I were a betting man. This, to me, is a smart move. I think the original movie was a little short-sighted. Clearly, the TV series proved that there was a lot more story to be told and a lot of demand for it. 

So, yeah, I didn’t want a Highlander remake. But now I kinda do.

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