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For many Highlander fans, there can be only one. The 1986 original, with its Queen soundtrack and Clancy Brown as the villainous Kurgen, is considered a classic, while its sequels... not so much. Besides being a blatant screed against global warming, Highlander 2 ridiculously gave the franchise a sci-fi twist and revived and rejuvenated its dead or aging characters, and the films went downhill from there. Now that Summit Entertainment is developing a remake with Fast and Furious director Justin Lin and Iron Man writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, I feel an obligation to give them a few tips to prevent their new franchise from going down the same road as the original.
1. Think About Nationalities.
As much as we love the first movie, casting Frenchman Christopher Lambert as a Scottish warrior and Scotsman Sean Connery as a Spanish swordsman just seems lazy. Yes, they're great (okay, good) actors, but couldn't you find a good, young Scottish actor, or at least one who wasn't French? Or, God forbid, changed the nationalities of the characters? It's one thing to have to explain why Arnold Schwarzenegger sounds Austrian in every movie, but asking men with undisguisable accents (Lambert could barely speak English!) to play characters with completely different accents is looking for trouble.
2. Pick a Story and Stick With It.
Even though the first movie stated that Connor MacLeod and Juan Ramirez were born on Earth, the second movie decided that they were in fact aliens from the planet Zeist, and that they were members of a rebellion there before getting banished to Earth and being reborn as babies. (Which is fine, I suppose, but to be banished at the same time and get reborn 2,000 years apart requires even further ret-conning.). If they're mystical beings, keep 'em mystical; if they're aliens, they're aliens. I vote for mystical, though.
3. Don't Wrap Everything Up With a Bow..
After centuries of Quickenings -- the absorption of one Immortal's life energies and knowledge by another -- the first Highlander ends with the Gathering, when the remaining living Immortals on Earth kill each other and last man standing Connor MacLeod wins the Prize: mortality. ...Except the second film brings Ramirez back to life and brings more Immortals to Earth from space, and the third film frees some more Immortals who were imprisoned in a cave this whole time, which raises the question of how Connor won the Prize without finding and killing them. We get it -- you didn't plan ahead for any sequels. Plan ahead this time.
4. Beheadings Aren't For Kids.
If you're planning on keeping the Highlander concept intact, with beheadings being the only method of dispatching an Immortal, then you probably shouldn't develop it into an animated series, in which the Immortals stop fighting and rename themselves Jettators, and knowledge is passed from one Jettator to another not by beheading, but by "sharing." This is a real thing that happened.
5. Do Not Make the Highlander Sparkle.
Seriously, Summit, we've seen Twilight. We know what you do. Don't do it here.
What do you want to see in a new Highlander film?
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Or, you know, don't remake/reboot/whatever it.
There can be only one!
I agree with all of the above. I LOVED the series. Adrian Paul was very believable as a Scotsman, and I liked the way they kept the origins of the Immortals shrouded in mystery. The second Highlander movie? I shelve it with my copy of Star Trek V.
Immortals don't sparkle, they sizzle,lol. But yeah take the background of the TV series and make that the origins of the movie and go from there. No aliens or anything else, and include some female immortals.
the tv show was great - not the one with the woman though - i vote viggo mortensen and liam neeson should be in the role of highlander and mentor respectively
viggo mortensen - highlander
liam neeson - the mentor
cilian murphy - villain
Got to agree with you guys. The series was great and I think they should follow that background. As for the idea of changing nationalities, I dont think that would work. It's/he's called the "Highlander" for a reason....... (There really was an animated series???)
This is a remake that sort of makes sense, because the original is awesome for all the wrong reasons, but the potential is there in the story to make it awesome for the right ones. Go for it, Hollywood. And have Muse cover Who Wants to Live Forever.
Just to be fair to Summit, it wasn't Summit's idea to make the Twilight vampires sparkle... that's in the books. That's purely a Stephanie Meyers device.
Watts, I'm so with you on casting! Viggio can plan ANY nationality, except maybe Asian. And African. Okay, any European nationality.
I am completely against the remake-reboot.
But, apparently we can't stop it. All I ask is they keep the music intact; Queen's Princess of Universe.
And stick with a Scotsman, please. Like, Kevin McKidd.
AND.... Peter Wingfield as Methos should be in it.
Second the Methos vote. And seriously, drop the aliens. Just thinking about it makes we weep. Between Smallville and Fox's announcement of an 'updated Western' and Dollhouse we're chock full of sci-fi plots. And Highlander works so much better as fantasy.
I heard a they were actually looking at Kevin McKidd to play Connor. I think he'd be fantastic.
My husband and I think that if they want to make another highlander movie, let's say, it should be based on the highlander series--- same background and everything. Same goes with highlander series although I think the highlander series should begin with Duncan's son from the movie "The Source"---remember? I think it should start with that--either with a movie or highlander series. As far as characters--I think Adrian Paul of course to play the father, his son the actor should be --to be honest, we are not sure-- Ramriez should be Liam Nesson, the mentor. That is what should be based on. Afther I saw "The Source", I was so sure they were going to continue to make another movie starting with his son, you know what I mean? And please do not do anything aliens based or other far fetch stuff--do not change the orinigal background, etc...
there are millions and millions of highlander fans and all of them, including me and my husband, would be so devasted and there will be no more highlander fans. do not change anything, please.
muse would be MOST EXCELLENT.
Muse would be an excellent choice, some Methos included probably won't happen but would be sweet.
And lady, are you straight out of your mind?!! The Source was the most unbelievable pile of crap the franchise ever slapped together. I found it an insult to the actors and the characters. As long as Summit does not, in fact, put glitter in the Highlander's hair, most anything would be more believable than the hell things have been put through since the tv series ended.
Hell yes to Muse for that!
Agreed Sara, with all you said about The Source. My stomach rolls just thinking about it.
The only thing they SHOULD have done after Duncan's series was do one for METHOS, the idiots.
Yeah,here's hoping no shiny on the Highlander. lmao
OMG I just took the twilight quiz and found out I'm Jacob Black!
Yeah, it would be better if the reboot got based on the TV series instead of the sucky movies. Also, METHOS!!! The most important immortal in the mythology must be included! I love Peter Wingfield as much as anyone but he's too old now to play the character. Which poses a problem because I can't think of any other actor who I'd want to play Methos. Dammit.
Steph is so amazing and talented. Twilight is easily the best series of our generation!
you're kidding right
Viggo as Conner? A bit too old! I like Karl Urban. Dont know about Ramirez, but definately not Cillian Murphy as the Kurgan he's just too small.He's no taller than Viggo and if Neeson was used as Ramirez, he'd literally tower over him, the Kurgan has to be an absolute GIANT! Maybe they should just leave well enough alone, after all you can't improve on perfection. There can be only one!