Henry Cavill’s ‘Highlander’ Departing Lionsgate for Amazon MGM Studios, United Artists

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About a year ago, Lionsgate arranged for Henry Cavill’s travel to Las Vegas. There, he captivated spectators at CinemaCon with stories of the rigorous sword training he was undertaking to play a role in the upcoming film Highlander. The production had been in the works for nearly ten years under director Chad Stahelski’s supervision, but it appeared to be gaining momentum.

Currently, the project continues its progression and is now in discussions with Amazon’s MGM Studios subsidiary, United Artists, for potential acquisition from Lionsgate. This movie is planned to be a theatrical production.

Initially, Lionsgate was planning to establish a whole ‘Highlander’ universe, with Stahelski in charge of the project. However, a recent agreement hands Universal Studios complete control over the franchise, which originated from the 1986 movie featuring immortal combatants played by Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery. The tagline “there can only be one” hints at the fierce battles these warriors engage in against each other. As they slay fellow immortals, they gain power, until only a single warrior survives. This film led to four sequels and three television adaptations.

In this agreement, Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt from UA will take on the production role. Additionally, Neal H. Moritz and the team at David Leitch’s production company, 87Eleven Entertainment, will collaborate in producing. Michael Fench, who has previously worked on ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’, is set to write the script.

Since 2016, Stahelski has been connected to the project, while Cavill joined in 2021. In conversations with The Hollywood Reporter about the project, the filmmaker expressed, “The challenge lies in cracking the nut of the Highlander property, given its complexity and rich mythology. Our aim is to make it unique, yet faithful to the original, while also making it our own. We’re not interested in remaking or reinventing; instead, we want to create something fresh that leverages the beloved elements from the first movie.

Cavill is already in business with Amazon, starring in its upcoming Voltron movie

More to come.

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2025-04-18 00:25