Scottish actress Karen Gillan joins star-studded Highlander reboot cast
The Inverness-born Hollywood actress shot to fame after starring as Matt Smith's companion Amy Pond in Doctor Who.
She has gone on to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nebula and share the silver screen with Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson in Jumanji.
Now the 37-year-old will take on the role of Heather, Connor MacLeod's mortal wife, in the action-adventure flick Highlander.
Gillan confirmed the news in a post on X, saying her 'dialect coach can sit this one out.'
She will take to the screen alongside Henry Cavill, Russel Crowe, Dave Bautista and Marisa Abela.
Highlander follows Macleod, the immortal Scottish warrior, as he battles other immortal beings.
Chad Stahelsk, who is known for the John Wick franchise, is directing the movie. A release date has not been set for the Highlander reboot.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Noel Clarke set to learn outcome of libel claim against Guardian publisher
Actor Noel Clarke is set to discover whether he has been successful in his High Court libel claim against the publisher of the Guardian on Friday. Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct. Clarke denies the allegations, while GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest. A trial earlier this year heard from multiple witnesses who made accusations against Clarke, including that he had allegedly shared nude photographs of them without their consent, groped them, and asked them to look at him when he was exposed. Barristers for Clarke told the court that there is a conspiracy of people with financial and personal grudges against him who engineered his downfall because they could not bear to see him receive a Bafta award. Mrs Justice Steyn is set to hand down her ruling at 10.30am on Friday. The trial of the libel claim was held from early March to early April at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Clarke, who has previously appeared in TV shows including Doctor Who, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Bulletproof, gave evidence over several days. At one stage, he appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had 'smashed my life'. He said: 'They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.' He continued: 'I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.' He later said that while he was 'a flawed guy', he added: 'The reason I stand here four years later is I am not what they have branded me.' Philip Williams, representing the actor, said that his client was a 'casualty' of a media 'purge' following the emergence of the MeToo movement. He continued that Clarke was made a 'scapegoat' and was an 'easy target' because he was at the height of his success when the media industry 'zealously sought to correct itself'. The barrister also criticised the Guardian's investigation, saying the newspaper 'manifestly failed to do its job properly'.Mr Williams asked the court to find the claim successful, saying the Guardian's reporting has caused serious harm to Clarke's career, with 'continuing hostile reactions online and in public discourse'. Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said there is 'not a shred of evidence' to support Clarke's claim of a conspiracy, describing it as 'nonsensical and rather desperate speculation'. He said Clarke has a 'very clear motive to lie' because he 'stands to lose a great deal'. In written submissions, Mr Millar said Clarke 'used his power to prey on and harass female colleagues' over a period of 15 years. He said: 'This was a careful and thorough investigation conducted conscientiously by Guardian journalists who were aware of the potential pitfalls. 'They received information from a wide range of sources with direct evidence of misconduct and in each case carefully considered and tested the information they were given, electing to publish only such information as they believed was credible.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
What is Noel Clarke's libel claim against The Guardian's publisher about?
The Doctor Who actor took legal action against Guardian News and Media (GNM) over several publications, which included claims from multiple women that he had committed misconduct, which he denies. With Mrs Justice Steyn set to hand down her ruling in the case at 10.30am on Friday, here is a look at the key questions around the case. – Who is Noel Clarke? Mr Clarke made his first TV appearance more than 20 years ago in the Channel 4 series Metrosexuality, and gained fame for his roles as Mickey Smith in Doctor Who and Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He later wrote and starred in the acclaimed film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood, and directed two of them. He won the Bafta rising star award in 2009 and was awarded the outstanding British contribution to cinema prize in April 2021. The second award and Mr Clarke's membership of the academy were suspended after the allegations against him were published by The Guardian. – What is the case about? Mr Clarke is suing GNM over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021, which said 20 women who knew the actor in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations of misconduct against him. In a statement at the time, Mr Clarke said he 'vehemently' denied 'any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing', but added that he was 'deeply sorry' if some of his actions had affected people 'in ways I did not intend or realise', and vowed to get professional help 'to educate myself and change for the better'. In March 2022, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they would not launch a criminal investigation into the claims. – What was said at trial? Opening Mr Clarke's case at trial on March 7, barrister Philip Williams, for the actor, said The Guardian acted as the 'judge, jury and executioner' of Mr Clarke's career. He also said that The Guardian's stories 'had more holes than a colander' and that Mr Clarke 'is absolutely not, and never has been, a sexual predator'. The court in London also heard allegations that 14 of the alleged complainants were involved in a conspiracy and that the journalists involved in the articles were aware. GNM has defended its reporting as both true and in the public interest. Gavin Millar KC, for the publisher, told the court in written submissions that The Guardian 'did not simply accept what was said to it' and that 'much time and resource was devoted to getting to the truth'. He also said that there is 'ample evidence' that all of the articles were true or substantially true. – Who gave evidence? Mr Clarke was the first witness to give evidence in the trial and was cross-examined by lawyers for GNM over several days. He told the court that GNM had 'smashed my life' and that he was 'not what they have branded me', accusing some of the women of lying and labelling one a 'fantasist'. Mr Clarke's wife, Iris Clarke, also gave evidence in support of her husband, as did actress Louise Dylan, who said a claim that Mr Clarke had groped her 'was not true'. The Guardian provided evidence from 16 women who claimed to have experienced Mr Clarke's alleged misconduct, including Gina Powell, who worked at his production company Unstoppable between 2014 and 2017, and actress Jing Lusi, who starred in ITV thriller Red Eye. Others were given pseudonyms to protect their identities, including one named Ivy, who said she felt 'horrified' when she discovered that Mr Clarke had shared private images of her with others. GNM also called journalists to give evidence, including the editor-in-chief of The Guardian, Katharine Viner, who said there was a 'very clear public interest' in publishing the allegations. – What could happen next? Mrs Justice Steyn's ruling will only deal with the issue of liability. If Mr Clarke is successful, he wants to increase his claim for special damages to more than £70 million, and also wants to bring a claim over allegations that multiple people conspired against him using fabricated allegations of misconduct or sexual assault. The case will also progress to dealing with any damages GNM must pay, as well as legal costs. If Mr Clarke loses, he will face paying at least some of GNM's legal costs. The losing side may also seek to appeal against the ruling.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Billy Connolly speaks about Elton John's inspiration as he releases new artwork
The 82-year-old has released four new limited edition works under his Born On A Rainy Day series, via Castle Fine Art, recalling some of the fondest memories from his life. One of the pieces, named Saturday Night, shows a piano player in action, with Sir Billy saying the character in his piece 'does that leg thing which is pure Elton'. Speaking about opening for the Rocket Man singer in 1976, he added: 'It was that point of the show where he backheeled the stool and it tumbled off the stage. The roadies all dived so that it didn't break. 'I saw Elton lately and he was better than I've ever seen him. He's an amazing performer.' Sir Billy, who began drawing in 2007 and has built a name for himself as an artist since his retirement from comedy in 2018, has also released Sausage Tree, which reflects on his childhood, Sunburned, which depicts a sunburned Scottish man, and Fly Away Peter, which shows a multicoloured figure surrounded by birds. The Glasgow-born star added: 'It's taken me years to call my art beautiful, I would never dream of saying it before for the chance that somebody would say, 'it's crap, you're no good', but I'm quite good. 'I can make people smile and feel happy. It's great.' Earlier this month, Sir Billy warned fans about scammers impersonating him online, telling them he and his wife, Pamela Stephenson, had been impersonated using artificial intelligence. He said scammers had been 'impersonating me, often reaching out to fans soliciting direct messaging', adding there 'could well be criminal intent'. Sir Billy has continued to record TV programmes since his retirement, with his most recent projects including shows such as 2018's Billy Connolly: Made In Scotland, Billy Connolly's Great American Trail in 2019, and Billy Connolly Does…, which began airing in 2022. The new pieces are available from Castle Fine Art from 8am on Friday.
