The first installment of the evergrowing franchise, John Wick hit the theaters in 2014 with Keanu Reeves in the leading role, and that established both Reeves and Chad Stahelski’s career on solid ground.
Now, Stahelski is reportedly venturing into a different franchise, rebooting the 1986 classic Highlander. It starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, a Scottish swordsman fighting the villainous immortals. However, Stahelski’s vision could be a bit different.
Chad Stahelski to Reboot Highlander
Beginning with Russell Mulcahy’s 1986 movie, Highlander expanded into a universe over time with five Highlander movies, two television series, an animated series, and an animated movie. Also, the universe contains an animated flash-movie series, ten original novels, and nineteen comic book issues alongside video games and official merchandise. A big universe to jump on, indeed.
Starring Superman and The Witcher actor Henry Cavill, the reboot of the beloved sci-fi film has been in development since 2016. Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Chad Stahelski revealed a lot about the reboot:
“We have ideas for days about how to make the coolest characters and to make that an epic TV show. I just think that’s a rich, rich mythology. When you can pick any period in time, any nationality, any culture, any type of person and make them an immortal that have to duel and deal with the burden of immortality, that’s f*cking cool to me.”
After John Wick, jumping ship to the Highlander reboot will keep the director busy for a while as it has been established as a giant universe and Stahelski intends to take it slow.
Chad Stahelski Will Not Commit Zack Snyder’s DCEU Mistake
Zack Snyder’s DCEU tenure was prominent and has super loyal fans, but it was short and many accused the director of rushing things without establishing the essence of DC’s backbone. His very own Snyderverse had more room to grow and it was supposed to provide ample space for the characters. But if one thing Stahelski could learn from Snyder’s mistake, it would be taking it slow with his new and ambitious project.
The John Wick director said that the project will begin with “a prequel setup to The Gathering” slowly establishing the franchise and “grow the property.” Stahelski definitely understands the essence of the mythology, establishing the characters and plot with room for their growth. “I love the original,” he once told Digital Spy. “I know it’s dated in certain ways but I love the vibe and the mythology,” he added.
“So, my take on it would be to somehow maintain the vibe and mythology and feeling of the first movie. Not go off the rails with too much plot, and really develop the world of the immortals. I don’t care what the mortals are doing, I want to be invested in the immortal world and hold true to the original as much as I can.”
Highlander Reboot is still in development and so far, only Cavill is considered to have been in the movie. The movie does not have any release information as of yet.
Source: The Digital Spy
