It’s been about a month now since we’ve told you that Ryan Reynolds was the most wanted man to wield a sword for the upcoming Lionsgate-Summit remake of Highlander. The sci-fi franchise certainly has had a strong past with fans, and has taken many forms in the 20+ year history. With a remake wanting to get off the ground, it seemed like Reynolds may have held the key to certainly get the project on a fast track. Now, it seems that we may have some immortal swordsman action on the big screen once more as there is now an A-lister name in the battle for the next titular warrior.
The Tracking Board reports that after one month of serious negotiations, Ryan Reynolds will officially join Highlander as the lead role. It’s said that he will in fact be playing the role of original Highlander character Connor MacLeod, who is described as “a Highlander who discovers he is one of a dwindling group of immortals who wander the earth and kill each other in combat for the final “Prize” – immortality.”
The remake has been in the works since 2008, and director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Days Later) will be at the helm, with the script coming from Matt Holloway and Art Macum. TTB reports that Fresnadillo is also currently in negotiations to rewrite the script, meaning it may be some time before we have a finalized version and a production start.
Previously, Vinnie Jones and Ray Stevenson were said to be the frontrunners for the villain of the film known as Kurgan. However, it’s unclear where that stands as of right now as both actors could have dropped off the project given the extensive time. Furthermore, with rewrites on the way Fresnadillo could be looking in a completely different direction for the antagonist.
The story of Highlander deals with an immortal swordsman who must battle other immortal warriors in order to claim the titular title over all. The franchise is best known for its catchphrase “There can only be one,” and the most recent outing of the series happened to be in 2007 with a TV movie that continued the story of the ’90s television program.
No word on a release date yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
