The director of the ‘John Wick‘ films, Chad Stahelski, is set to begin production on his next film, ‘Highlander.’ It has been confirmed that Henry Cavill (“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “The Witcher”) will play the role of Connor MacLeod/Highlander, a 16th-century immortal born in Glenfinnan.
The first schedule of filming is planned to begin in January 2025 in Scotland, followed by locations in Italy and Hong Kong, as confirmed by Redanian Intelligence. The film’s budget is reportedly exceeding $100 million.
In a recent interview with Collider, Stahelski said, “We start shooting in January in Scotland, that’s why I go right after I leave. I go to Scotland on Monday to do the final location scout.”
Stahelski is directing the reboot from a screenplay by Ryan J. Condal (“Colony,” “House of the Dragon”), Michael Finch (“Predators,” “American Assassin”), and Kerry Williamson (“Alex Cross,” “What Happened to Monday”). Stahelski described the film as “John Wick with swords.”
Henry Cavill Started Training for The ‘Highlander’ Reboot
At the 2024 CinemaCon, speaking to THR, Cavill said he started training for the ‘Highlander’ reboot. Cavill remarked, “I am a lover of the original movies, for better or worse.” He added, “It’s one of those things where reading the script, I wasn’t quite sure where they were going to go.” What he discovered is that Stahelski and the team are “going deep into the meaning of these characters, their trials and tribulations.” Cavill concluded, “If you think you’ve seen me do sword work before, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
Stahelski said, “Our story engages a lot of the same characters and stuff like that. But we’ve also brought in elements of all the TV shows, and we’re trying to do a bit of a prequel, a setup to The Gathering, so we have room to grow the property.”
The film is produced by Rui Costa Reis, Joshua Davis, Eliad Josephson, Amanda Lewis, Neal H. Moritz, Louise Rosner, Stahelski, Patrick Wachsberger, and Gregory Widen. Production companies are Lionsgate Films, 87Eleven Entertainment, and Original Film.
The original film, released in 1986, starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman. The storyline involves the immortals fighting each other to gain a mystical energy known as the “Quickening” when one defeats another — in it.
When is the Release Date for the ‘Highlander’ Reboot?
Stahelski’s ‘Highlander’ is set to hit theaters in 2026, distributed by Lionsgate.
