Highlander remake 'closer than ever' as Chad Stahelski gives Henry Cavill update

The ‘Highlander’ remake is “closer than ever”.

The 1986 classic – which starred Christopher Lambert as the 16th-century immortal warrior Connor MacLeod – is set for a reboot from Lionsgate with Henry Cavill attached when it was announced last year, and now ‘John Wick’ director Chad Stahelski has given a promising update on the pre-production process.

He told Collider: “We’re in the process of tweaking right now. I think we know what we want. More importantly than anything, we know what we want to make.

“It’s in the creatives. We know what we’re trying to make.

“It’s just a matter of getting it to the point where we feel, ‘Okay, this is it. Let’s go.’ But we’re closer than we’ve ever been, so that’s good.”

When it comes to Cavill, the in-demand star is still involved in talks and Stahelski confirmed he is “one of my big choices” for the movie.

He added: “It’s not just about muscles and brooding. I think he’s got an incredible range and I think he’d bring something very special. And his enthusiasm has been amazing in it.”

The original flick starred Sir Sean Connery, 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.

He recently 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.”