Don’t Lose Your Head
“Highlander“, a reboot to Russell Mulcahy’s 1986 film, will see a collaboration of the “Fast and Furious” director-producer duo once again. On Tuesday, September 22, Summit Entertainment announced that it has signed in helmer Justin Lin and producer Neal Moritz to work on the remake project.
“We are privileged to have this amazing opportunity to reinvent one of the great franchises,” the studio’s co-chairman Patrick Wachsberger said when revealing the joining of the two filmmakers to the project. “Neal and Justin have proven more than once that they can deliver an entertaining and exciting blockbuster.”
“Highlander” will offer a new take on the story of immortals who battle for supremacy while living seemingly normal lives in the contemporary world. It will expand on the original Highlander’s core mythology of the immortals. “Iron Man” scribes, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, have been tapped to pen the script.
My take: The original movie, directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown, is one of my favorite films, and the series starring Adrian Paul had moments of sheer brilliance. To say that I am wholly devoted to the “idea and spirit” of Highlander is an understatement. The potential in this franchise is awesome in scope, but ultimately the caretakers of Highlander have time and time again chiseled away at the core of its greatness to leave bits of rubble littered about. The less said about any of the sequel films, or the final season of the television series, the better.
Can a reboot of the franchise work, ala the recent relaunches of Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek? Of course it can, but one must also remember that these things most often times fail. The attempts at rebooting Night Stalker and Bionic Woman spring immediately to mind.
What the new shepherds of Highlander must do is adhere to the essence of what instilled it with magic to begin with. The original film had its problems to be sure, but I found that the series was able to iron out some of its rough spots. First things first… establish the rules and stick to them and steep your tale in character-building flashbacks and epic, swashbuckling action…
And do not forget… Highlander is a romance in the classic application of the term.
If I were an optimist I would be looking at this as an opportunity to elevate the franchise, treating what has come before with respect and viewing the whole of it as a trial run that can now spread its wings and truly fly.
If these new shepherds are to succeed remains to be seen, but dammit, I’m pulling for them.
September 23, 2009 at 12:47 pm
To me, the Highlander will always be Christopher Lambert. I adored Adrian Paul (still do) in the series, but that final season. Ugh. I need to re-watch the last two movies, as well.
My youngest watched the second movie not too long ago, and spent half the day wandering the house going “wtf? Why? WHY?”
I figure, given the people brought into the project, it’s going to be spectacular.
September 30, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I love the idea of a new Highlander, and for one I don’t mind a new actor.
After all if you are immortal you can’t age. That is the same issue the vampire shows have, either start with really young actors make them look older then use less make up as they age.. that is if the show runs more then one season.
September 30, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I agree totally. There’s no way to maintain on ongoing series beyond ten years or so with a story involving immortals. I maintain that this should be constructed as a trilogy, with “The Prize” culminating in Connor MacLeod being made mortal in the end. Then, if you want to revisit him in future movies, his aging will not be a factor.
November 10, 2009 at 1:45 pm
[...] of Highlander… despite its many and obvious hiccups. With a remake looming, which I discussed HERE, I thought I’d wrap my head around a little dream casting. I don’t expect anyone to [...]