Highlander. Name me a film with a fan base as devoted as this does which is more shamed with the by-product of its success and I'll find you a penny off the street and give it to you.
[That guy in the back waving his hands and yelling Star Wars can sit down now]
Highlander and its storied and much maligned film sequels and television series is simply a beast that cannot die. Its astonishing really that it has survived through all the mire and crap. And yet, someone out there still thinks this baby has legs and is not only planning ANOTHER Highlander film but to remake the original film. You know, it is like everyone hears the infamous catch phrase 'There can be only one' and takes that as a challenge, 'Oh, we'll see about that. I have some pretty shitty ideas for a sequel myself'.
"Iron Man" co-writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway will write the new script and one of the producers of the original film, Peter Davis, a man who may or may not have a diminishing bank account and may owe money to the Russian mafia, will produce this new incantation of this death defying franchise.
Davis said the new "Highlander" will not just be a remake but will incorporate more back story elements and prequel aspects that will be fleshed out to expand the story line in a way that is inventive yet faithful to the original story. He also said romance was key to the series' popularity and would be a central theme in the new film. "I would hate to think that people viewed 'Highlander' as a sword fighting movie because it's much more than that," he said. "The issues of an immortal falling in love with a woman and knowing she's going to grow old and die in your arms, those are very romantic issues to deal with."
No word if Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown have been offered roles yet. But hell, if this series is as immortal as its central figure then why not? It's not like a move like that is going to kill it. Its been worse!
Der can be only juan.
I still havent figured out why people stuck around for the third movie and the TV series after that god awful 2nd movie. Did they ever officially clear up all the alien crap form the 2nd movie? I mean is the second movie still considered highlander canon?
Anyway I loved the first movie and I'm just wishing somebody does the right thing and takes this franchise behind the barn and puts it out of its misery.
Um...the second film (which I've never seen) was a bad idea. This isn't any better. Seriously, Hollywood is completely out of new ideas.
I must be the only one who liked that one where Lambert and the TV guy came together as a unification movie. What isn't to like? MONKS WITH GUNS. come on. that sold me right away.
anyone..?
time as not been kind, hell only the animated series and the movie from Kawajiri are the only side Highlander stuff that is decent imo
@Airchinapilot
Well, I'll agree that they had some good fight scenes in that one.
I thought the first movie was kind of cool. Now with a remake there is a very large that the series can become what the producers always wanted, and no longer have to worry about retconing everything.
If there was any movie that needed a remake this would be it.
I didn't like the first one though; seriously, I just couldn't get into it. It was full of plot holes and drenched in the worst kind of '80s cheese and keep in mind, I liked Mike Hodges' "Flash Gordon." Just....was bored, really. A remake is probably not the best idea but hey, couldn't be that much worse, I think.
"Davis said the new “Highlander” will not just be a remake but will incorporate more back story elements and prequel aspects that will be fleshed out to expand the story line in a way that is inventive yet faithful to the original story."
I can only hope that what he means is that they intend to weave in elements of mythology developed by the tv series. The tv series started off its first season by dragging out an Immortal every episode. In fact the best of the early episodes didn't have an Immortal - instead Duncan and co were held hostage by bank robbers.
The series survived as long as it did by building its own mythology around the original movie, by introducing the Watchers, who chronicle the events surrounding the Immortals but have always remained in the shadows, never becoming involved.
Otherwise I'm seriously worried. Have they even watched the original?? Everything you needed to know about Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod - his first battle, his "death", his mentor Ramirez, The Kurgan, Heather, the reason why he's a miserable loner...Oh dear...
As for prequel aspects, I guess they can't do worse than suggest they're exiled aliens...
For those who didn't make it past (or through) Highlander 2, the whole "alien" thing was never mentioned again. Highlander 3: The Magician works as a direct sequel to the first movie, explaining what happened to Brenda. It's main problem is that Mario Van Peebles stole all of Clancy Brown's mannerisms and played his badguy as a poor man's Kurgan.It also has the classic scene of a man riding up to Connor and saying "The French Revolution has started: You're needed in Paris!" Highlander:End Game gets a few things right, including a neat swordfight between Adrian Paul and Donnie Yen, but leaves a sour taste in the mouth by suggesting that Rachel (Connor's assistant whom he'd rescued from the Nazis when she was a young girl) was blown up minutes after Connor left her towards the end of the first movie. And Christopher Lambert was looking rather sweaty for some reason.
As mentioned before, my colleague Wayfarer has reviewed the latest Highlander movie on my review site.