
Dave Bautista Joins 'Highlander' Reboot As Villain Opposite Henry Cavill
In the original Highlander , Christopher Lambert ( Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance ) portrayed MacLeod, a medieval Scottish Highlander who learns he is immortal. He is mentored by Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, played by Sean Connery ( James Bond films), and ultimately engages in a centuries-spanning conflict with other immortals, adhering to the film's iconic line 'there can only be one'.
The new action-fantasy film, produced under Amazon MGM's United Artists banner, is confirmed for a theatrical release and sees Bautista joining Cavill, Russell Crowe ( The Pope's Exorcist , Gladiator ), and Marisa Abela ( Back to Black ) in the cast. Cavill will star as MacLeod, with Crowe taking on the role of Ramirez. In this new version, Bautista may helm the role of The Kurgen , a ruthless immortal barbarian, who has murdered others across centuries to absorb their essence. In the original, this formidable antagonist was memorably portrayed by Clancy Brown ( The Penguin ).
Bautista's near-confirmed casting marks both a full-circle moment and the realisation of a long-running fan wish. He was previously in talks to play the Kurgan in 2015, when an earlier version of Highlander was in development under director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan ( The Huntsman: Winter's War ) for Summit Entertainment. More recently, fans have imagined Cavill and Bautista as rival immortals in a series of fan-made trailers.
Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick series, is at the helm of the upcoming film. Principal photography is scheduled to begin at the end of September, with filming set to take place across locations in the UK and Hong Kong.
Michael Finch, co-writer of John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), penned the screenplay. Production isled by Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt under United Artists, Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski's 87Eleven Entertainment, Josh Davis of Davis Panzer Productions, and Louise Rosner also serving as producers. Dave Bautista as J.J. in My Spy (2020)
Bautista's likely casting marks a return to Amazon feature projects. He has starred in the action comedies My Spy (2020) and its sequel, is in post-production on The Wrecking Crew opposite Jason Momoa, and is reportedly in talks for the sequel to Road House (2024), all in collaboration with Amazon.
An exact release date for Highlander has not yet been set, though Stahelski previously said it would likely arrive in either 2027 or 2028.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. dave bautista Henry Cavill Highlander Highlander Reboot Russell Crowe
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Geek Culture
4 days ago
- Geek Culture
'Wednesday' Creators Alfred Gough & Miles Millar Plan 'Addams Family' Animated Reboot Film
In an episode of Deadline's Crew Call podcast, Wednesday creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar disclosed their current work on a new animated Addams Family movie for Amazon MGM Studios. The Addams Family (2019) The movie will be a complete reboot of the animated film franchise, having no links to the original films, as well as Netflix's Wednesday, which stars Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Jenna Ortega as the deadpan, sarcastic, and macabre titular character. Gough has told Crew Call that the creator duo would be working on the new animated film with Amazon MGM, as well as Kevin Miserocchi, the director of the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation, who personally knew Charles Addams, the creator of the Addams Family. Other collaborators on the project include producers Gail Berman ( Elvis ) and John Glickman ( Rush Hour ). Gough and Millar shared about the first time they collaborated and how they have maintained that level of teamwork from their time at the USC Peter Stark Producing Program, working on their orangutan and cop buddy movie, Mango , all the way to their half-billion-grossing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). The pair also went on to talk about Season 2 of Wednesday , disclosing how they managed to successfully pull off the new season despite the writers' and actors' strikes, their inspiration, the enduring pull of the Addams Family franchise, and the best way to accurately depict what's in Wednesday's mind as she offhandedly tosses her usual sardonic one-liners. As Gough explains, 'The key with her is not writing a joke, it's writing to her worldview. That's where it lands, and that's where it sounds fun. Anytime you reach for a joke with this character, you wind up cutting that line.' In addition, because Wednesday isn't exactly a typical detective, her motivations are usually different. In the words of Gough, Wednesday commits to solving crimes because 'someone has gaslighted her, or because she feels a truth isn't being told, she also sticks up for the underdog.' Unlike other characters who become more fleshed out as their show progresses, Gaugh said that the approach to Wednesday is to instead think of her as a character that is already 'fully formed and she [just] has to learn that the world works in shades of grey.' Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Amazon MGM Studios The Addams Family wednesday


Geek Culture
08-08-2025
- Geek Culture
Dave Bautista Joins 'Highlander' Reboot As Villain Opposite Henry Cavill
After much clamouring from fans for Dave Bautista to play the villain to Henry Cavill's ( Man of Steel , The Witcher ) Highlander Connor MacLeod, word is that the Guardians of the Galaxy star is in final negotiations to join the Amazon MGM reboot of 1986's cult classic Highlander . Dave Bautista In the original Highlander , Christopher Lambert ( Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance ) portrayed MacLeod, a medieval Scottish Highlander who learns he is immortal. He is mentored by Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, played by Sean Connery ( James Bond films), and ultimately engages in a centuries-spanning conflict with other immortals, adhering to the film's iconic line 'there can only be one'. The new action-fantasy film, produced under Amazon MGM's United Artists banner, is confirmed for a theatrical release and sees Bautista joining Cavill, Russell Crowe ( The Pope's Exorcist , Gladiator ), and Marisa Abela ( Back to Black ) in the cast. Cavill will star as MacLeod, with Crowe taking on the role of Ramirez. In this new version, Bautista may helm the role of The Kurgen , a ruthless immortal barbarian, who has murdered others across centuries to absorb their essence. In the original, this formidable antagonist was memorably portrayed by Clancy Brown ( The Penguin ). Bautista's near-confirmed casting marks both a full-circle moment and the realisation of a long-running fan wish. He was previously in talks to play the Kurgan in 2015, when an earlier version of Highlander was in development under director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan ( The Huntsman: Winter's War ) for Summit Entertainment. More recently, fans have imagined Cavill and Bautista as rival immortals in a series of fan-made trailers. Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick series, is at the helm of the upcoming film. Principal photography is scheduled to begin at the end of September, with filming set to take place across locations in the UK and Hong Kong. Michael Finch, co-writer of John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), penned the screenplay. Production isled by Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt under United Artists, Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski's 87Eleven Entertainment, Josh Davis of Davis Panzer Productions, and Louise Rosner also serving as producers. Dave Bautista as J.J. in My Spy (2020) Bautista's likely casting marks a return to Amazon feature projects. He has starred in the action comedies My Spy (2020) and its sequel, is in post-production on The Wrecking Crew opposite Jason Momoa, and is reportedly in talks for the sequel to Road House (2024), all in collaboration with Amazon. An exact release date for Highlander has not yet been set, though Stahelski previously said it would likely arrive in either 2027 or 2028. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. dave bautista Henry Cavill Highlander Highlander Reboot Russell Crowe


Geek Culture
01-08-2025
- Geek Culture
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Revival Reveals New Lead Character Details
Hulu's Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot has officially unveiled the name of its new slayer: Nova. Earlier this year, Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Sarah Michelle Gellar confirmed that Ryan Kiera Armstrong ( Star Wars: Skeleton Crew ) would step into the lead role for the reboot, with Gellar herself returning in a recurring capacity. At the time, Armstrong's character name was being kept under wraps, but Deadline now reports that she will portray Nova, a fitting choice given the name means 'new' in Latin. Ryan Kiera Armstrong In additional casting news, young actor Kingston Vernes ( So Cold the River ) has been tapped to play Carson, a charismatic Junior Olympian and popular student who will become the object of Nova's affection. Unlike previous one-off casting announcements, Vernes is reportedly set to appear in a recurring role. More details also emerged this week about the reboot's core ensemble, seemingly forming the new 'Scooby Gang', a callback to the original series. The confirmed cast currently includes Sarah Bock ( Severance ) as Gracie, Nova's best friend, Ava Jean ( Law & Order: SVU ) as Larkin, Faly Rakotohavana ( Secret Society of Second-Born Royals ) as Hugo, another close friend who harbours a crush on Nova, Daniel di Tomasso ( Major Crimes ) as Abe, and Jack Cutmore-Scott ( Frasier ) as the enigmatic Mr. Burke, a new school librarian reminiscent of Rupert Giles from the original series. The original Scooby Gang in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) According to reports, a writer's room has been assembled, and if Hulu gives the green light following the pilot, full production on season one is expected to begin in March 2026. As of now, no other legacy characters beyond Buffy herself have been confirmed to return. However, Gellar, who is also serving as an executive producer on the project, has expressed interest in bringing back more fan-favourite faces. One such possibility is Charisma Carpenter ( The Expendables ), who played Cordelia Chase in the original series and its spin-off Angel . Carpenter recently told IGN she would be open to reprising her role, especially after what she described as an 'unjust' send-off for her character. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot Hulu