We’ve known since 2008 that the Highlander franchise was being rebooted, and we learned last year that the newest tale of the MacLeod clan was being rushed into production. But the big question was – who the hell’s gonna be chopping them heads off? Worry your little hearts no more, lads and lasses, because Ryan Reynolds is immortally yours.
Reynolds will play Conner MacLeod, a Highlander who discovers he is one of a dwindling group of immortals who wander the earth and kill each other in combat for the final “Prize” – immortality.
The remake is set to be helmed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who is also in negotiations to rewrite the script. Neal Moritz and Peter Davis will produce the film. (Via The Tracking Board)
The star of the poorly-received Green Lantern, Reynolds will reportedly not be returning for that sequel, but he’s still riding the potential comic book film franchises pretty hard with R.I.P.D due out next year and Deadpool still in development. So consider a run with the Highlander franchise as some strong job security.
Reynolds is a polarizing actor, in that women love to look at his dreamy, rippled washboard abs, while fans of Blade, X-Men, and Green Lantern love to criticize the guy for being simply wrong as a comic book hero type. But he’s just so damn charming – and it helps that he sleeps next to Blake Lively – that we keep giving him second chances.
Maybe Highlander will be the franchise that he truly redefines. Or maybe it will be Deadpool. Or The Flash, Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, Punisher, Longshot, Northstar, Paladin, Daredevil, or any number of other comic book characters that will eventually get a movie or reboot. Either way, handsome people get jobs.
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All I know is that Stan Lee deserves to be able to swim in all of his money ala Scrooge McDuck. And if Ryan Reynolds is there with his shirt off, that’s cool by me too I guess.
For Christ’s sake, first 21 Jump Street is made into a comedy and now this bag of dicks is Conner MacLeod?
My youth is starting to feel a lot like a Second Mile kid.
Too soon?
The only person against Reynolds being cast is the screenwriter. They had to rewrite the script and he thinks the dog masturbation scenes cause a tonal problem.
From the Highlands of British Columbia, then? C’mon, how am I supposed to take him seriously as French Scotsman being mentored in the art of the katana by a Scottish Egyptian-by-way-of-Spain??
That said, loved the original. Don’t fuck this up.
Heeeerrrre we arrrrre! Born to be Kiiiings! We’re the princes of the u-ni-versse!
Is Richard Madden busy?
Not after next season.
Green Lantern was a mis-step because of the lack of swords. This should get him back on the right path.
I don’t remember the original that well, but the concept is immortals killing each other to gain immortality? If they are immortal, how do they kill each other? And if you can kill one another, why fight for immortality if you can just hang out and eat fatty foods and drink bourbon and be immortal anyway? I know I’m over-thinking this, but WTF?
The immortals can only be killed via decapitation and when one kills another they gain the victim’s power so at the end the lone immortal has a power level of OVER 9000! Who doesn’t want to have a power level of OVER 9000?
The Immortals are drawn together to fight to see who will remain and consolidate the power. When you kill another you gain their powers with kick ass lightning effects set to Queen which makes you feel like a big tough man.
Looking forward to Darkman getting rebooted with Shia.
Ha!
Original Queen soundtrack or riot.
Seriously. Half the reason Highlander was awesome was Queen.
+100 — There is no substitute for a kick-ass sword fight set to “Gimme The Prize”.
While I don’t feel that Ryan Reynolds is the right actor to play Conner MacLeod, I’m not against rebooting Highlander. Having watched the movie again recently I came away with the realization that it simply wasn’t very good, and I’m speaking of the first movie not any of the horrifically awful sequels. I’m all for remaking/rebooting movies that weren’t that great to begin with and could be improved with better technology and acting (the acting in the original Highlander was awful). I’m completely against remaking/rebooting movies that were great/classics, which is why I am for this and vehemently against Total Recall.
Apologies for the serious post and lack of dick jokes, I’ll flog myself when I get home.
The first movie was good … the sequels were epic failures. Highlander 2 is the single worst movie ever made.
Who the fuck did they get for the Kurgan? I’m guessing they were legally obligated to get Jeremy Renner insofar as it’s an action movie.
My money’s on Idris Elba.
If Idris Elba is The Kurgan I will watch the shit out of this movie.
If viewed through the right eyes this is already a porn parody. Dudes run around stabbing people with their swords to get head.
Nah the Highlanders would be women. And to ‘kill’ each other, they’d go down on each other until one of them cums, the one who doesn’t cum wins. There used to be male Highlanders, but the smoking hot female Highlanders made them all bust first.
Macleod would be eliminating all of them because he’s actually a man, who poses as a woman to eliminate all other highlanders. Then at the end he would have an orgy with the ghosts of all the eliminated female Highlanders
Jamaican ‘Precious’ as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez or GTF… no. There is no “or”
Look, I get that Toyota makes a fine automobile, but to call them immortal may be a touch of the hyperbole.
Hey, now, you can’t blame him for how much Wolverine sucked. He was basically the only bright spot in that movie, and he didn’t even have to take off his shirt.
Basically, he just needs to pick better products, because he’s got potential, in addition to being totally dreamy. A Deadpool movie would be a good start.
I like Reynolds. I loved Safe House. I’m more tired of actors locking up multiple franchises.
Yeah, but all of his potential franchises keep failing. :(
Don’t get me wrong, though, I’d rather see him do more original stuff.
Hey HE’S the one who kept turning down all those Van Wilder sequels…
The director, Fresnadillo, determines whether a test audience liked his film by feeling the bumps on their head.
“handsome people get jobs” would be a great title for the ian somerhalder memoir
Fresnadillo is what the Nortenos call a drug deal in Fresno.
SJV fo’ liaf!
*sniffs bath salts, eats Angelo Mendoza’s brother’s eyes*
When asked if he’d be making a cameo in the Highlander remake, Sean Connery replied,
“I pose a conundrum to you; a riddle if you will. What’s the difference between Ryan Reynolds, and a mallard with a cold? One’s a sick duck… I can’t remember how it ends, but your mother’s a whore!”
See Ryan, this is what happens when you let Kevin Connolly be your manager.
So it will be blatantly homosexual and make no money in the box office. So same old Highlander?
There can be only ONE — movie that I will never see.
“My name is Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. I was born in 1518 in Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel. And I am immortal…” is how have started literally every cover letter I have ever written.
Connor MacLeod isn’t the key to casting this movie … The Kurgan is.
I love Ryan Reynolds, that being said, who came up with idea of him playing the Highlander? No, very bad idea! There are so many great and talented actors that can do it. He is just not the one. Love him in everything he has done but not this. Chris Hemsworth or Gerard Butler, Colin Farrel or Alexander Skarsgard, but not Ryan Reynolds
Every role he does, the same comments show. This was said about, Safehouse and Green Lantern Ryan always gives a great performance. Obviously, you have watched movies are you would not be able to discuss them in such a negative frame. His fans will continue to support him and if you don’t like what he does “JUST DON’T GO”