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Russell Crowe Cast in 'Highlander' Reboot
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He was Henry Cavill's father in "Man of Steel", and now he'll be rejoining Cavill in a different kind of adventure. Collider reports that Crowe has been cast in the Chad Stahelski-directed "Highlander" reboot, in "a key role opposite Henry Cavill" who is leading the film.
There is no word yet on exactly who Crowe is playing, but our money's on Ramirez: the part originated by Sean Connery in the 1986 original. Ramirez is a mentor to the hero in the original "Highlander", who teaches Christopher Lambert's Connor MacLeod the ways of the Immortals.
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Russell Crowe attends the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on June 30, 2023 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic.
Russell Crowe attends the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on June 30, 2023 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Czech "Highlander" reboot has been crawling along in development for years, but the last few months have seen more activity than ever. According to Collider, "Highlander" will begin production in the fall with the hope of releasing the film some time between 2027 and 2028.
Along with rebooting the property, Stahelski hopes to evolve the mythology. He told Collider, "We're bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the Highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong. There's big opportunity for action... and it's a bit of a love story — but not how you think."
The director also told Collider how he sold the part to Cavill, saying, "My selling point to [Henry] was, look, you've got a guy that's been alive for over 500 years. He's the last person in the world that wanted to be in this situation."
"So you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc... and you get to experience someone that's trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts."
In the original "Highlander" Lambert's MacLeod is a 16th century Scottish clansman who is accused of witchcraft when he inexplicably survives being run through during a battle.
Cast out of his village, MacLeod eventually learns the truth with the arrival of Ramirez. MacLeod is an immortal who can die only if he loses his head.
Other immortals exist, and one day the survivors will be drawn to a great city where they will need to fight over the Prize: something that could save humanity or could plunge the world into darkness, depending on who wins.
MacLeod inevitably winds up facing off against the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), a sadistic and otherwise nameless warrior who has been hunting other immortals for centuries.
"Highlander" was followed by a number of sequels, spinoff films, and spinoff TV series.
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