HOLLYWOOD star Henry Cavill is due to star in a remake of the classic 1986 film Highlander.
Cavill has been cast as Connor MacLeod, the lead role in the film, which is being directed by Chad Stahelski, the man behind the John Wick franchise.
The Superman actor said it was “very exciting” to be involved and that he had been a fan of the film “since I was a lad”.
What was the original Highlander about?
Released in 1986, the film focuses on an immortal Scottish swordsman, born in 1518 and is interwoven with storylines from the past and present.
In the original film, Christopher Lambert played the lead role of MacLeod while Sean Connery was also in the film.
What has Henry Cavill said about the casting?
Writing on Instagram, Cavill said: “I’ve been a fan of Highlander since I was a lad.
“Being not shy with swords and having a director as talented as Chad Stahelski at the helm, this is an opportunity like no other.
“Deep diving into franchise storytelling with all the tools at our disposal is going to make this an adventure I (and hopefully all of you) shall never forget.
“And as you can see from the swipe, I’ve lately been dipping into some of my Scottish heritage and inadvertently getting my base line research underway.”
What has the director previously said about the film?
Explaining why he wanted to take on the film, Stahelski said: “Highlander is such a massive property.
“Luckily, the studio is really behind me in this. I truly believe this is one of those properties that could actually sustain a good universe, meaning a TV show or something.
“And to go out there, and just haphazardly throw together what we think would be a quick sword-fighting immortal movie, I think would be a mistake.”
When will the movie be released?
The movie has been dogged by delays, with filming previously expected to start in 2022.
Given the current Hollywood writers’ strike, it seems unlikely the it will be filmed until next year – with a possible release date of 2025.
