It’s been two and a half years since Henry Cavill was announced as the latest star to inhabit the lead role of a Highlander reboot that had become one of the most notorious resident of development hell, and in that time we haven’t been given a huge number of reasons to expect it to escape.
After all, John Wick mastermind Chad Stahelski failed to name it among his list of incoming projects more than once while hitting the press trail for Keanu Reeves’ most recent outing as the sharp-suited assassin, while the DCEU’s deposed Superman has been keeping himself plenty busy with Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle and a pair of back-to-back Guy Ritchie action thrillers.
And yet, after the grand total of 17 years trying and failing to get off the ground, Lionsgate is preparing to pull the trigger and get the ball rolling after it was confirmed (per Deadline) Highlander will be launching sales on the fantasy blockbuster at the American Film Market, which comes with the caveat that the film is going to be a risky proposition carrying a price tag of over $100 million.
Stahelski may have steered Wick to over a billion dollars in total at the box office, but he’s literally never directed anything else. Meanwhile, Cavill isn’t quite what you’d call a certified draw outside of his costume-clad comfort zone, and it remains to be seen just how much pull the Highlander brand has with audiences both modern and casual.
There’s no harm in being proven wrong, though, but for now it’s a relief to see that it’s actually going to happen for real this time.