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Cavill's Highlander: Can It Escape Franchise's Kooky Past?
9 Feb
Summary
- The original 1986 Highlander movie is surprisingly goofy despite its serious premise.
- The franchise later included aliens, ignored sequels, and critical failures.
- Director Chad Stahelski aims for gritty, R-rated action in the new reboot.
The original 1986 Highlander film, despite its premise of immortals battling for a mysterious Prize, is surprisingly goofy and tonally inconsistent. The movie featured a bizarre accent from Christopher Lambert, an over-the-top Clancy Brown as The Kurgan, and a Queen-powered soundtrack.
Following this, the Highlander franchise veered into kookier territory, with Highlander II: The Quickening revealing immortals as aliens, a plot point so poorly received that an alternate cut removed it. Later installments, including Highlander III: The Sorcerer, failed to achieve critical success.
However, the franchise has seen some acclaim, notably the anime film Highlander: The Search for Vengeance and a dedicated fanbase for the 1992-1998 live-action TV series. Recognizing the franchise's more numerous lows than highs, a reboot is now in development.
Directed by Chad Stahelski, known for the John Wick series, the new Highlander film is expected to deliver visceral, gritty, R-rated action. Starring Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, and Dave Bautista, the reboot aims to handle the concept of immortals with a more serious tone. Filming began in late January 2026 after Cavill recovered from an injury.
