Highlander Remake

[elgaz]

The casting was very random alright. I thought there was a specific reason they opted for those people, but it sounds like the Director just said ........ what the hell, let's go with it.

Russell Mulcahy, director -

I’d made dozens of music videos when EMI came to me with Highlander. Its original title was The Dark Knight. I loved its graphic novel quality and this idea of an immortal who can never fall in love again, because he’d had to watch his first wife grow old.

Lots of names were bandied around for the part of Connor MacLeod, the lead. I was flipping through a magazine and saw this picture of Christopher Lambert in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan. I said: “This is the guy!” His eyes had a timeless quality. The fact he couldn’t speak English didn’t really matter. So we ended up with a Frenchman playing a Scotsman, and Sean Connery as the Spanish-Egyptian immortal who trains him. We didn’t bother changing Sean’s accent – this was Sean Connery! These guys had been around for centuries. They could have picked up accents from wherever.

A sword broke and a shard shot over Sean's head. He put on his dressing gown and was on the verge of walking out
We shot fast – in Scotland, London and New York. The budget was just $13m so it was guerrilla-style film-making. When we were in Glen Coe, the producer had to run down the mountain with a pocket of change to call the studio from a phone box. On the plane up, Sean brought out a bottle of homemade scotch a friend had given him. “C’mon, laddie,” he said, “have a nip of this.” It blew my brains out.

When Sean and Clancy Brown, who plays the villain, had their first big fight, Clancy was meant to burst in and slice the table in half with his sword. But he struck it with the flat of the blade and it broke. A shard shot over Sean’s head. He was on the verge of walking. He put on his dressing gown and called a meeting. Clancy said: “I’m so sorry. I was so nervous because it’s Sean Connery.” Sean was gracious but said: “Maybe we’ll use my stunt double more.”

 

[TheVileOne]

It's a good point about the accents. Does it really bother anyone that much when you watch the original?

 

[TheVileOne]

Isn't that only because its all we have had?

The concept it self is fun regardless of the silly things that went on in the 80s

OK so the concept is great. But it's not exactly an original concept in recent years either. The concept is immortal warriors fighting for some type of dominion. You can find that in plenty of other movies.

RoboCop is a great concept and idea itself as well. A cop who is murdered in the line of duty is made into a cyborg and has to rediscover his humanity despite being part machine. For years, Hollywood attempted to do a remake. Heck even Darren Aronofsky was on it for a while and realized it wasn't going to work. Then, look what ultimately happened.

Ghostbusters? 'Nuff said.

I would rather we just see a new movie or new concept that hasn't been done before. Even if it's inspired by Highlander, don't make another Highlander. Do a new spin on immortals fighting it out on Earth.

 

[Teelie]

It's a good point about the accents. Does it really bother anyone that much when you watch the original?

No, it was confusing when I was a kid but now I just don't care. There are plenty of logical explanations for it if that is really a problem for viewers (as was pointed out, when you are immortal, you may pick up an accent if you live in one place long enough).

 

[Octoberist]

It's a good point about the accents. Does it really bother anyone that much when you watch the original?

I think we all collective give it a pass because it's such a weird movie, but in 'lightening in a bottle' way. It was a schlocky movie with charm and ambition.

But now, I think we're too self-aware and a weird (and completely) inauthentic cast wouldn't work now.

 

[Loki882]

It's not really a problem with "present day" IE 1980's Connor because his, ambiguous accent kind of fits a guy who's spent centuries traveling all over the world. So fair enough there.

It gets a bit weirder in the flashbacks though, since he's meant to be a younger man who's never left the Scottish Highlands. And yet, he doesn't even remotely Scottish.

And with Ramirez, well it's not even like he has a "hard to place" accent. He just flat-out sounds like a Scotsman. It doesn't bother me really because, well the performances are still good (and the movie was charmingly weird across the board). But it is extremely noticeable and easy to make fun of, that's all.

Clancy Brown's voice, I love it. Not only is it intimidating as heck, but I can totally see an ancient barbarian (from a fictional tribe) warrior sounding like that.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

All this accent talk means almost nothing for the rest of the world because movies are dubbed

 

[TheVileOne]

The accents are part of the kitsch appeal of the original. Honestly, when I discovered Highlander as a kid, I never really noticed or cared that much about the accents anyway.

 

[Mike_D202]

Okay I changed my mind:

Michael Fassbender as Connor, Christoph Waltz as Ramirez.

 

[The Big G]

John Wick 2 director Chad Stahelski on directing the remake:

Connor Macleod may or may not be an immortal alien, but his sword skills have at least one thing common with the Jedi from Star Wars. Director Chad Stahelski has said his reboot of Highlander will take cues from both the original Star Wars trilogy, and his own John Wick films.

“The vision were trying to get across and what we’re trying to develop, I equate very close to Star Wars,” the director told Collider, saying he hopes his Highlander reboot would show the “gathering” of the various sword-swinging immortals “happening over three” films. At present, Stahelski’s vision of the Highlander fantasy epic rebooting in a trilogy of motion pictures is in the developmental phase with Summit and Lionsgate. Filming and casting hasn’t been announced, but Stahelski has an overwhelmingly detailed idea for how he’d like to see the original concept revitalized for new audiences. And apparently, the studios are in support of him “So far I’ve met no resistance,” he said, “They’re like, ‘Look, whatever you did with John Wick with the gun stuff, we want you to try and do with the sword stuff.”

 

[Rowsdower!]

Keanu for Connor MacLeod.


Come on, admit it. You want to hear him attempt a Scottish accent.

 

[David H.]

Keanu should be Villa-Lobos.

 

[Breogan]

Keanu for Connor MacLeod.
Come on, admit it. You want to hear him attempt a Scottish accent.

Could be worse, he could be....

Keanu should be Villa-Lobos.

...and there it is!

 

[Isildur´s Heir]

Highlander is one of those movies that are really bad, but have an amazing premise and an amazing actor (Connery).
Never could stand Lambert, and Brown, well, Brown was still a newcomer.
I like Clancy Brown NOW.


"The vision were trying to get across and what we’re trying to develop, I equate very close to Star Wars"

Wow...that's bad.

Kill the all alien angle, because that's just ridiculous.
It was back then, and it is now.

Personally, i always like the idea of a very secluded Connor MacLeod, that rarely comes out, that no one knows much about.
I really like the idea of addressing the all weight of being an immortal, because....who wants to live forever?

 

[The Big G]

Highlander is one of those movies that are really bad, but have an amazing premise and an amazing actor (Connery).
Never could stand Lambert, and Brown, well, Brown was still a newcomer.
I like Clancy Brown NOW.


"The vision were trying to get across and what we’re trying to develop, I equate very close to Star Wars"

Wow...that's bad.

Kill the all alien angle, because that's just ridiculous.
It was back then, and it is now.

Personally, i always like the idea of a very secluded Connor MacLeod, that rarely comes out, that no one knows much about.
I really like the idea of addressing the all weight of being an immortal, because....who wants to live forever?

I think by the "Star Wars" ideas he meant that he wants a pulpy epic....no one wants to go back to Zeist.

 

[Breogan]

"The vision were trying to get across and what we’re trying to develop, I equate very close to Star Wars"

Wow...that's bad.

Kill the all alien angle, because that's just ridiculous.
It was back then, and it is now.

....no one wants to go back to Zeist.

Yeah by Star Wars, hopefully he's not talking about bringing back the long time ago in a galaxy far away ...aliens were exiled to earth, angle.

Or he's remaking the animated series instead? Weren't they riding Tauntauns and Kaadus and other alien creatures in a futuristic/fantastic world, with some impenetrable death-fortress, classic black clad sword wielder he's destined to face, who killed his father, etc...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KQiH927pxM

By "very close to Star Wars" I hope what he means is not very close to Star Wars
And he's just talking about the scope, I guess?

 

[Peyton Westlake]

It would be nice to use the groundwork for Highlander and expand just a little on it.
The idea of immortality and other ideas in the Highlander myth were never exploited fully IMO.

 

[Breogan]

The immortality and consequences of otherwise mundane sword fights, the implication that by the nature of that power the more you obtained ...the more alone you became, all seemed familiar.
What really made Highlander unique, was the language by which it told that familiar story. The repeat flashbacks and parallels to the tales of the past, which revealed more and more about the mysterious stranger, protagonist you were meeting in the present.

And what you inevitably learn is hunting him.

This parallel story telling is what really gave Highlander it's unique, timeless, feel, and language, distinguished it from other films at the time. That aspect was nothing like Star Wars, which it's only superficially like.

I look forward to seeing what comes of this, but that his first reference is Star Wars to convey his vision of how Highlander should be developed, instead of Highlander itself doesn't give me much hope.

 

[Lighthouse]

It would be nice to use the groundwork for Highlander and expand just a little on it.
The idea of immortality and other ideas in the Highlander myth were never exploited fully IMO.

They need to tread carefully here. I don't want them to explain where the immortals come from, or who is responsible for "The Game", but I wouldn't mind finding out why the "No fighting on Holy Ground" rule is such a big deal, that even totally evil immortals won't break it.

 

[Loki882]

Especially since it's inconsistently portrayed. In Endgame for example, Jacob Kell can just walk into a monastery full of sleeping immortals and kill them all with no consequences whatsoever. So what is it just an honor system or something, because that makes no sense?

And yet in an episode of the TV show, Joe Dawson says that it was two immortals dueling on holy ground that caused the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. So that would imply some kind of supernatural force at work.

 

[Thundarr]

Especially since it's inconsistently portrayed. In Endgame for example, Jacob Kell can just walk into a monastery full of sleeping immortals and kill them all with no consequences whatsoever. So what is it just an honor system or something, because that makes no sense?

And yet in an episode of the TV show, Joe Dawson says that it was two immortals dueling on holy ground that caused the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. So that would imply some kind of supernatural force at work.

In Highlander 3, Mario Van Peebles' character attacked MacLeod on holy ground and the whole temple they were fighting in virtually exploded, which supports the implication that there's a supernatural force enforcing the no killing on holy ground rule.

While I agree that the immortals' origins should remain a mystery, if they do decide to come up with an explanation, I can only hope that they leave the whole "immortals are aliens from another world" thing in the trash where it belongs. I would go with somethin like "Immortals are the offspring between the Ancient Gods (Zeus, Odin, Ra, Huan-Ti, etc) and mortals, and The Prize is ascention into Godhood". Not only is this a better explanation than the "Alien Origin" but it also explains why no immortal will kill on holy ground (even the Gods will not defile each other's temples with bloodshed).


As for my fanboy dreamcast of the Highlander remake?

Ewan McGregor as Connor MacLeod (He's a excellent actor, he's Scottish, and he had to study kendo and various other fencing styles for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi so he should do pretty well at the sword fighting scenes).

Antonio Banderas as Ramirez (Also an excellent actor, he's also Spanish so he'll at least have the right accent. And much like Ewan McGregor, he had to study fencing for his role in the Zorro movies, which will make choreographing the sword fights much easier.)

Conan Stevens as Kurgan (At 7' tall and over 300 lbs, Conan has the size and build to be the intimidating and imposing figure that Kurgan is supposed to be. He is also a skilled swordsman, stuntman, and fight choreographer, all skills which led to him being cast as "The Mountain" Ser Gregor on Game Of Thrones.)

 

[Fallen Angel]

By the time we got to Highlander 3 all the rules set up in the original were tossed out the window never mind when we go to Endgame.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

They need to tread carefully here. I don't want them to explain where the immortals come from, or who is responsible for "The Game", but I wouldn't mind finding out why the "No fighting on Holy Ground" rule is such a big deal, that even totally evil immortals won't break it.

I agree. I don't necessarily want an explanation of their origin, unless its an earth shattering idea which I'm sure they haven't figured on yet.
I would like them to maybe explain the Quickening, perhaps as 1 immortal kills another his skills, gifts,education,etc. is absorbed & transferred into the victor.

 

[TheVileOne]

Trying to re-envision Highlander as Star Wars is why this will fail.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

That is the part that has me scratching my head.
Highlander & Star Wars share nothing in common really.
Unless they are trying to show how Ramirez mentors Connor like Ben did with Luke. Other than that, there is nothing else I can see.