40 Years Ago Today, An Iconic Fantasy Movie Was Released (And The Remake Can’t Get Here Soon Enough)

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The 1980s were a uniquely creative time for movies. Fueled by cultural shifts, anxieties about the future, and a surge in consumerism, filmmakers took big risks and created truly original work. This led to films that broke the rules and blended genres in exciting ways—including one memorable movie that combined realistic characters, historical setting, and fantasy elements, eventually launching a whole franchise. Now, on the franchise’s 40th anniversary, a big new movie is coming out, and we’re really looking forward to it!

The movie Highlander premiered in theaters on March 7, 1986, but it wasn’t initially successful. With a budget of $19 million, it only earned $12.8 million in theaters and was considered a flop in the US. Despite this, it gained a dedicated following internationally and on video. What really captured fans’ attention was the film’s unique mythology, which became its most memorable feature and led to several sequels and a popular television series that aired throughout the 1990s.

Highlander’s Story Explained

As a huge cinema fan, I’ve always been fascinated by Highlander. It’s directed by Russell Mulcahy, and the story – penned by folks who also worked on films like The Prophecy and The Hunt for Red October – centers around a secret society of immortals living among us. They’ve got this incredible energy called ‘the quickening’ that makes them super aware of things, and they’re bound by an ancient prophecy to come to America and fight each other until only one remains. The really cool part? When an immortal defeats another in sword combat and decapitates them, they absorb the loser’s power, making themselves even stronger. The last one standing gets almost god-like power, and whether that’s a good thing for humanity really depends on who wins!

The film centers on Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), a man who learns he cannot die after being born in 16th-century Scotland. Years later, he lives a quiet life as an antique dealer in New York City, but his peace is shattered when other immortals gather for a final, deadly competition. Among them is Victor Kruger (Clancy Brown), a brutal barbarian and Connor’s old enemy, who is ruthlessly eliminating rivals to claim a powerful prize. Connor, hesitant at first, is the only one who can stop Kruger’s violent path to victory.

The movie Highlander prioritizes flashy visuals and style over a deeply complex story, much like director Russell Mulcahy’s music videos, and is filled with memorable action sequences set to popular songs. This was initially seen as a weakness by some, but it’s also the reason the film became a beloved cult classic. Its dark atmosphere and unintentionally funny confidence are very much a product of 1980s filmmaking. The 1991 sequel, Highlander II: The Quickening, failed to recapture the original’s magic, as the studio abandoned the fantasy elements and awkwardly tried to turn the series into a science fiction story, resulting in a critically panned film. Despite this, the three subsequent sequels and the TV series all found modest cult followings, contributing to one of the first successful interconnected franchise universes of the 2000s. The franchise concluded with the SyFy Channel movie Highlander: The Source in 2007, but is now experiencing a revival.

The Highlander Reboot Is In Production

Filming began in January 2026 on a new version of Highlander, a project that had been unsuccessfully attempted for almost twenty years. The movie will feature Henry Cavill, known for his roles as Superman in Man of Steel and in The Witcher, as Connor MacLeod. Dave Bautista, a former WWE wrestler and star of Guardians of the Galaxy, will play the villain, known as The Kurgan (or Kruger).

The new Highlander movie will largely retell the story of the original. Henry Cavill will play MacLeod, a 16th-century Scottish warrior who learns he’s an immortal—a being who doesn’t age—and is fated to battle others like him for a mysterious ‘prize.’ After living for centuries, he’ll ultimately face his greatest enemy, the ruthless Kurgan, in a massive showdown.

The new Highlander film will be set in the present day and updated for modern audiences. What’s really exciting about this reboot is that Chad Stahelski, the director behind the John Wick movies, is at the helm. Stahelski is known for creating incredibly realistic and visually stunning action sequences with practical stunts. This suggests the new Highlander will feature a lot more sword fighting than the original, and Stahelski’s team will need to convincingly portray warriors with centuries of fighting experience.

A new version of Highlander is coming to Amazon/MGM, though a release date hasn’t been announced yet. Russell Crowe will play Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, an older immortal who guides Connor in the 1500s – a role originally made famous by Sean Connery. Karen Gillan, known from Guardians of the Galaxy, will play Connor’s wife, Heather, in the past, and Djimon Hounsou (from Aquaman and Furious 7) will portray Sunda Kastagir, Connor’s only friend and a fellow immortal. The cast also includes WWE star Drew McIntyre, Marisa Abela from HBO’s Industry, martial arts star Max Zhang, South Korean actor Jeon Jong-seo, Kevin McKidd of HBO’s Rome, and Jeremy Irons (from HBO’s Watchmen), who will play the leader of “The Watchers” – a group that monitors and documents the story of the immortals.

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2026-03-07 19:19