Chad Stahelski: Highlander reboot is still happening

Chad Stahelski has assured fans that his ‘Highlander’ reboot is “still happening”.

The 53-year-old director is helming a reimagining of the 1986 movie that will feature Henry Cavill in the lead role and confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that he is working hard to get the film off the ground.

The original flick starred Sir Sean Connery, Christopher Lambert and Clancy Brown as immortal beings who hunt down one another to collect more power. The movie, notable for its ‘There can only be one’ catchphrase and Queen soundtrack, spawned four sequels and three spin-off TV series.

It is unclear if Henry will be playing a brand new character or one from a previous project but Chad believes the ‘Superman’ star has both the “physicality and empathy” to lead the movie.

The ‘John Wick’ filmmaker said: “Henry obviously has the physicality, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot if you can’t carry the empathy of a character that’s lived 500 years, and I needed somebody who could do both.”

Stahelski continued: “The character’s arc spans hundreds of years and he becomes many different personalities, all of which extend the timeline of his emotional growth.

“Then during our first meeting, my suspicions were confirmed: Henry was immediately riffing on the idea of the burden of immortality and you could see in his eyes that he can transform himself from being a young, vibrant soul to an old, wise soul. He had this combination I was fascinated by.”

Stahelski’s vision for ‘Highlander’ has been described as “a more grounded-in-reality take” when compared to the original films and “will likely play a bit more like a modern tragedy”.