Skip to main content

There can be only one: 'John Wick' co-director hired for 'Highlander' reboot

highlander reboot director chad stahelski highlander1
If there can be only one, Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment have apparently decided that John Wick co-director Chad Stahelski is the one.

Stahelski will reportedly direct the upcoming reboot of Highlander, the 1986 film about an immortal Scottish swordsman forced to duel against other immortals throughout time. The original spawned a five-film franchise and a popular live-action television series, among other projects.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studios are currently searching for a screenwriter to take on the project, which was been in development since 2008. An early version of the reboot was envisioned with Tom Cruise in mind to take on a supporting role similar to the one played by Sean Connery in the 1986 film. The Huntsman: Winter’s War director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan was attached to that iteration of the film.

“I’ve been a huge fan of the original property since I saw it in high school,” said Stahelski in a statement accompanying the studio announcement. “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.”

Directed by Russell Mulcahy, the original Highlander starred Christopher Lambert as the immortal Connor MacLeod, Connery as the immortal Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, and Clancy Brown as the vicious immortal known as The Kurgan. The film follows Connor from his early days in the Scottish highlands through to his encounter with The Kurgan in 1985 New York City.

The movie — and subsequent television series — famously featured original songs created for Highlander by the band Queen, including “A Kind of Magic” and the series’ theme song, “Princes of the Universe.”

There’s no timetable for development of the Highlander reboot at this point.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
Is there going to be a fourth Spider-Verse movie?
Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Almost anyone could have guessed that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was going to be a success, especially since its predecessor, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was wildly popular with fans and critics alike on its way to winning the Oscar for best animated film. But nobody predicted that Across the Spider-Verse would have a monster $120 million opening weekend on its way to potentially being the biggest hit of the summer.

The third movie, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is already well into production and it should be ready for release next year. But what's beyond Beyond the Spider-Verse? Only the executive producers, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, can answer that question. And they did, in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight.
Will there be a fourth Spider-Verse movie?

Read more
Amazon reportedly considering ad-supported tier for Prime Video
The Amazon Prime Video app icon on Roku.

Amazon could be close to launching an ad-supported tier for its Prime Video service, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday.

People familiar with the proposed plan said talks on the matter have been continuing for several weeks, though are described as still being in the early stages.

Read more
Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion part 3 live stream: where to watch for free
The cast reunites in Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion.

If you thought "Scandoval" was over, think again. What's that, you ask? To recap: Bravo's reality TV series Vanderpump Rules was set to end its 10th season after episode 14. Then, the affair known as "Scandoval" broke the internet. In March 2023, TMZ reported that cast members Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix ended their nine-year relationship. The bombshell report stated that Sandoval had allegedly cheated with their co-star, Raquel Leviss, which was later confirmed.

All was revealed on the season 10 finale, which aired earlier this month, but as any true reality fan knows, there's always the reunion special that follows a season. Vanderpump Rules is no different, and Bravo and Peacock will be airing the reunion special hosted by Andy Cohen throughout May and June to give everyone all the juicy details. Find out when, where, and how you can watch the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion below.
Watch the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion on Bravo

Read more