Summit Entertainment are preparing a new kind of magic. Just two years after the franchise-killing fourth sequel, Highlander's head is to be magically re-attached (just like Sean Connery's in Highlander 2). The reboot announced by producer Peter S Davis in Empire issue 241 is properly underway. And the director? Justin Lin, whose CV to date includes Fast and Furious, and its predecessor Tokyo Drift, as well as indie dramas Better Luck Tomorrow and Finishing the Game.
The original Highlander franchise began with Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery chopping heads in Russell Mulachy's original film in 1986, and ended ignominiously on the Sci-Fi channel in 2007, with Adrian Paul dodging mutant cannibals in an inexpensive Romanian forest (Brett Leonard's Highlander: The Source). In between were three other sequels, two TV series, a Saturday morning cartoon and an anime.
Clearly, like Mulcahy before him, Lin has the flashy visuals down pat, and he also demonstrably has the action skills to pay the bills. But whether he has the chops to bring anything more than a glossy surface to a new Highlander franchise remains to be seen.
The core idea of Highlander - a secret, mysterious battle between immortals that spans centuries - was arguably never satisfyingly explored by the original films (although some would say the bargain-basement TV show went profitably into dramatic parts the films never reached). It'd be a shame if a new film didn't learn from past mistakes. But then, it'll also be weird to see a Highlander without a French Scot and a Scottish Spanish Egyptian.
The new script is by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, who co-wrote Iron Man. The story - immortal Scots swordsman forced to confront barbarian for mythical prize - is the same as before.
No cast announcements yet. Let us know who you'd like to see in Conner McLeod's spanking new kilt.