One of the greatest cult franchises from the ’80s, Highlander, has a new reboot on the way starring Henry Cavill, and there are many things to be excited about surrounding the project. Of course, when the reboot in question comes with a history that spans over 25 years – with the original 1986 movie spawning four sequels and an animated film, two different TV shows, an animated series, a card game, two video games, four comics, and ten books – there is a lot of expectation and has a lot to stand up to. Luckily, things seem to be heading in a positive direction for the upcoming sequel.

The original Highlander movie starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, an immortal Highlander born in the 16th century, and it tells the story of long-running battles between immortal warriors. The upcoming project has been in the works at Summit Entertainment since 2008, with different actors, directors, and writers attached throughout the years. Reports of Henry Cavill’s involvement started in 2021, and by October 2023, Lionsgate officially announced it was moving forward with the reboot, with Chad Stahelski at the helm from a screenplay by Mike Finch. If all goes well, filming for the Highlander reboot is expected to start in early 2024. Despite several questionable sequels throughout the years, there are a lot of things to be excited about when it comes to the Highlander reboot.

Henry Cavill Will Return For A New Fantasy Role

Cavill Already Has Experience In Fantasy

British actor Henry Cavill has been showing off his acting skills throughout many different action-heavy roles, including his performances in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible – Fallout, his upcoming role in the spy movie Argylle, or his portrayal of Superman in the DCEU. However, one of his most critically-acclaimed performances was the one of monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher. His role in the adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series showed off his sword-based fight skills, which will come in handy for the upcoming Highlander reboot, making Cavill the best choice for a new Connor MacLeod.

9Highlander Will Have Chad Stahelski at the Helm

Stahelski Is A Proven Action Filmmaker

John Wick director Chad Stahelski has been tied to the project since 2016. Given that Stahelski’s bread and butter are action films, the new Highlander movie looks to be in good hands. He has proven his skills with his character-building, but he has also proved that he understands the Highlander universe, as Stahelski previously addressed the film’s delay and his desire to set the scene and do it right by setting up the universe for possible expansion. Chad Stahelski’s involvement in the Highlander reboot is one of the most exciting things about the project, as his modern take on the franchise will be entertaining and action-packed.

8The Highlander Reboot Will Honor The Original Soundtrack

Queen Will Be Present In The Highlander Reboot Soundtrack

One of the most defining things about the 1986 movie Highlander was its soundtrack, written and performed by Queen. Several other big names had been attached to the project, but the fantasy adventure film ended up including songs such as “A Kind of Magic,” “One Year of Love,” the iconic “Princes of the Universe,” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.” As there would be no Highlander without its original soundtrack, director Chad Stahelski confirmed in an interview with The Wrap that the Queen songs will be in the reboot.

7Highlander Could Also Include One Unreleased Queen Cover

The Reboot Can Finally Include The Liza Minnelli Song

Queen had been a big part of the 1986 movie, but an official soundtrack album for the movie has never been released. Most of the songs are on Queen’s 1986 A Kind of Magic album, but there is one song that briefly featured in the movie that was never released: “Theme from New York, New York.” The original song, composed by John Kander and written by Fred Ebb for Martin Scorsese’s 1977 film New York , New York, and performed by Liza Minnelli, was used in the Highlander movie with a Queen cover but never officially released. The new reboot might give Queen the opportunity to officially release it or record it for the upcoming movie.

6The Highlander Reboot Comes With A Big Budget

Stahelski Has A Massive Budget To Work With

Highlander is a fantasy adventure film, and, luckily, it will be a major production. At the same time as confirming the reboot is officially underway, it was announced the movie will also have a budget exceeding $100 million. That is exciting because it could offer grand-scale productions, sets, and many major action sequences that will also reflect Chad Stahelski’s directorial style, as well as high-quality costumes, raising the bar from the first movie in the franchise.

5The Highlander Reboot Will Connect Elements From Movies & TV Shows

The Reboot Will Pull The Franchise Together

The Highlander reboot has a lot to stand up to, given how extended the Highlander franchise is, with movies, TV series, books, and video games. However, that is also a good thing, as the new reboot can pull elements from both the movies and the TV shows that have been released so far, and that is exactly what is going to happen. As the director keeps the franchise’s future in mind, he also explained that he wants to set the scene for the Highlander reboot as a setup to The Gathering.

4New Incredible Special Effects

The Highlander Reboot Can Embrace Modern Special Effects

The first Highlander movie, which is also the most beloved one in the series, was released in 1986. Although the movie didn’t count on the best special effects, the reboot now has the opportunity to use more cinematic techniques, given the advances in technology and special effects. This way, it can impress its loyal fan base while also drawing other audiences with more spectacular and visually thrilling sword fights and action sequences.

3Highlander’s Reboot Can Features New Elements From the Books

There Are New Canon Materials To Utilize

The conversation surrounding the upcoming Highlander reboot mostly focuses on the first film and its subsequent sequels, but the universe also includes canon books, comics, and video games. There is plenty of new material in the books that can work in the upcoming reboot, including new immortals and foes, as the novels introduced fresh characters or created more complex and morally ambiguous characters, as well as deepening the historical setting, as the books explored various time periods that did not feature in the movies.

2The Highlander Universe Can Fully Expand

The Reboot Can Launch Even More Projects In The Franchise

Although there is only one plan in the works for the franchise, which is the upcoming Highlander reboot with Henry Cavill and Chad Stahelski, the Highlander movie universe can fully expand if the reboot is successful. The TV series were spin-offs focusing on different characters, and the reboot can pave the way for that to happen moving on. Given how much interest in the expansion of universes thanks to franchises like Star Wars, MCU, DCEU, and more, in the right hands, Highlander can fully achieve its potential as a franchise.

1The Highlander Franchise Has The Potential To Be Really Good

Stahelski Isn’t Rushing The Reboot

There are a lot of movies and TV series with reboots in production, and audiences are wary about bringing their favorite film or show back. However, given how there have been several sequels of questionable quality so far, director Chad Stahelski taking his time to honor the Highlander universe fully gives everyone hope that the reboot actually has the potential to be good.