There can be only one! Well, maybe not? The Highlander reboot still on track says director Chad Stahelski. Stahleski is, of course, most well-known for directing the John Wick movies. However, Stahelski has been working within the stunt and action choreography side of the business for many years. Most recently we heard Stahelski was back working with Lana Wachowski on The Matrix 4.
Highlander came out in 1986. I was 8 years old when I first saw it and I was blown away. Now, looking back at Highlander as a film critic, yeah it’s pretty rough. However, I think what I saw as a child, more than the movie itself was the potential. The general idea behind Highlander is fantastic, it just wasn’t executed all that well. The sequels (especially Highlander II) and even the TV series became progressively worse as the years went on.
Highlander Reboot
Stahleksi spoke to Discussing Film in the last few days and gave an update on the current status of Highlander. Stahelski was asked whether the lockdown has had an effect on Highlander.
“We’re in heavy development mode on Highlander. Tweaking the scripts, writing, conceptualizing sequences, how we’re going to do everything. We probably have a lot more in-person kind of things, but it hasn’t slowed down our development process at all.”
That’s good news. I really think Stahelski could be the right man to do something great with Highlander. I always felt that Highlander would have made a great trilogy or a franchise. A story that builds up to that climactic final fight after exploring Connor’s very long life a little more. Luckily Stahelski seems to agree with me. Here is what he said to Collider back in January.
“We’re trying to get it done. Anyone who knows anything about the property knows it has a lot of meat to it. It’s a good property. It’s got a lot of potential, we’re just trying to figure out the best way not to f-ck it up. Not to try and fit it into a one hour, 45-minute movie, which, when your pitch is, ‘There can be only one,’ and in your first movie you kill everybody but the one, sequels have a problem of happening. So we’re trying to design in a way that gives us a little more lead in, a little more time with the mythology and see some of the best characters.”
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Stahelski has even suggested a possible TV series approach. I have to say, that would be my preference. A six-eight hour epic story, maybe split into a couple of seasons. But I’m also happy to have a movie series. Stahelski also revealed how he is bringing his own skillset to Highlander. Here is what the director said back last December when he spoke to EW.
“There’s a great mythology, it’s got an action-design challenge. What would a guy really be like after 500 years of practicing sword-work? I’m still a stunt guy at heart, you want to reinvent gunfights, how do you do it? You want to reinvent sword fighting, how do you do it? And that’s where we are at now. I love the first Highlander and I think I’m in a pretty good spot. The creative team, the producers and the studio that’s behind it have kind of said, ‘It’s yours to play with.’”
I can only say, that I like everything I hear from Stahelski about his Highlander reboot so far. In fact, I think I may write about in this week’s What This Fan Wants From… Where I have time to really explore what’s so great about this franchise. What do you think of Stahelski’s comments that the Highlander reboot still on track? Leave your thoughts below as always.
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SOURCE: Discussing Film
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