Zen Peckinpah

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=45313

That's right. In spite of a bunch of loathed sequels (which I haven't seen...yet), Highlander is getting remade.

Unfortunately, without Sean Connery or Clancy Brown as the Kurgan this is some bad news. They've gotten two of Iron Man's co-writers on scripting duties, which is a good sign, but I have no goddamned idea how you can remake a movie this bitching and ungodly insane. Sean Connery as a Spanish guy? Swordfights in parking garages circa 1986? Enough outdated but cool-ass FX to last another cycle of the 1980's? A Queen soundtrack!?

Get your "there can only be one!" one-liners and FAIL pictures ready.

DonnachaOne

I wanted to make it with Antonio Banderas and James MacAvoy. No-one listens to me.

RocShemp

There goes another dream project of mine.

PopcornTreeCt

Maybe it'll actually be good this time. *ducks

RichC2

How can they remake the oscar winner for best movie ever made? Could it be the first to win it twice? Wait how would that work.

RocShemp

They better cast Thomas Jane as Connor MacLeod. Or just get Lambert. He looks 500 years old these days.

BJacks

I issue a fail to your post because the correct line is "There can be only one."

And this is a pretty terrible idea. Is nothing sacred? There's no reason to remake this unless it brings Sean Connery out of retirement.

Zen Peckinpah

Not a bad idea!

RocShemp

And I don't say it just because of his looks (was he cloned from Christopher Lambert and Kevin Costner?) but also because he has the acting chops to play a fun loving yet weary 500 hundred year old warrior.

The Infidel

RocShemp

Hopefully, at the very least, this means we'll finally get a BD release of the Highlander (hopefully with the original non-wooshing soundmix). I wonder if they'll also delay the new game to coincide with the release of the remake. Given the game has a lot of potential, I wouldn't mind a delay if they took the extra time to really iron out all the kinks.

KnightLerxst

I have been hoping for a big budget remake of Highlander for some time now. I am all for it.

Edit - Aw crap...Peter Davis is "producing" Just let the franchise go man...

rexinnih

BD release of Highlander would be high on my wish list. Guilty pleasure of mine.

RocShemp

I'm hoping he'll be there as Executive Producer only. We really need fresh blood to revitalize the concept.

Doughboy

If they're gonna remake it, it better have at the very least:

1) The Queen soundtrack. They can replace the Michael Kamen score(although I do love the training montage), but Queen has to be in the movie. It's not Highlander without "Princes of the Universe" or "Who Wants To Live Forever?".

2) An ending that leaves open the possibility of a sequel. Don't end it with Connor winning the prize. Unless of course the filmmakers are content with this being the only entry in the rebooted series.

3) A lead actor who can pull off a Scottish accent. I've always felt that Highlander could've been a great film instead of a good one had it had a stronger lead. Christopher Lambert had the right look for Connor(especially in modern day NYC), but he's a mediocre actor.

Of course even a superior lead actor won't compensate for the absence of Sean Connery or Clancy Brown. No one will play Ramirez or the Kurgan as convincingly.

Superman07

WHY?!

I thought The Source was supposed to be:

1) Part 1 of a 3 part series of movies
2) A launching pad for a new series

In either case, I still haven't seen the film, so...um...errrmm....

Seriously, why do you need to remake this series? I thought IV was fairly good, but too similar in concept to III, however I think they toned it down on some of that all powerful/magic parts.

Ashame really. I think AP and the seires may have been the high point for this franchise. I wonder if that proves it was better suited for a TV series than film. Additionally, they have squandered any opportunity for the original 3 (Paul, Wingfield and Byrnes) to come back since it's been something like 12 years since the series ended and that age thing is catching up - especially for Paul/Wingfield.

chris_sc77

My picks and thoughts.
Overall opinion- Have no problem with this remake. I welcome it with the right talent.
Look of the film- not as dark as the original film. We can start here with the improvements.
Soundtrack/Score= MUSE
Rating= Anything other than an R rating will be worth no ones time.
Lambert role= Clive Owen, Thomas Jane, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce
COnnery Role= Robert De Niro, Liam Neeson, Daniel Day Lewis (?)
The Kurgan= Vin Diesel(?), Ken Watanabe, Eric Bana
Director- Alejandra Aja, Andrew Dominik, Matthew Vaughn

stingermck

They don't need a remake, just a really strong sequel. Ive aways said Highlander is my favorite concept, with the worst movies. It seems too soon for a remake/reboot, after a sequel, oh wait...Hulk, Punisher, etc.

But if you make it with Connor, you leave out the Duncan fans and vise versa.

Supermallet

to Thomas Jane.

I'm all for it with the right people and an ending that would actually make sense if they decide to do sequels.

james2025a

I actually really liked the original movie and (i know i will get bitch slapped for this) i even liked the second movie. I would be interested what they could do with a remake. If they do another trilogy of movies they should have the Kurgan in all three. Keep him coming in and out of the movies and the final confrontation left until the last movie. They could have real fun coming up with cool characters for Mcloud to come up against. Thomas Jane could be ok i guess, and how about Ron Pearlman as the Kurgan. He has the height and the build and can play a badass pretty good.

Michael Corvin

What works for the 80's won't necessarily work for the new millennium. I love both songs as well, but I think they would stick out sorely in a remake.

TheNightFlier

Peter Davis being involved in this can only mean failure.

PopcornTreeCt

They'll be the same songs only this time around they'll be sung by Nickelback and Fall Out Boy!

Jon2

I hadn't thought much of this "remake" idea until you posted.

The idea of a trilogy extending the original movie's story across three films, exploring other immortals and their stories/deaths, and ending the last film with MacCleod's attainment of the Prize at the end of a climactic sword fight (to end all cinema sword fights), sounds like it could work... if it's done right, of course.

I think Jane would be a good MacCleod, and Perlman is perfect for the Kurgan.

B5Erik

No Clancy = No Sale

Come on, Ron Perlman as the Kurgan? Sorry, he's an old man (he's 58) and can't move anywhere near as athletically as Clancy Brown did. He also doesn't have quite the psychotic edge that Clancy brought to the table. (He really got into character, and almost took Connery's head off for real in one shot - Connery was pissed!)

Seriously, without Clancy Brown and Sean Connery this thing just reeks of failure. The original was lightning in a bottle - and they failed to recapture that lightning every single time they made a sequel. (Actually, they weren't even close to recapturing the magic of the original Highlander on any of the sequels.)

Kurgan has to be played by someone in his early 30's - someone big, athletic, and who is a superior actor and has a larger than life presence on the screen. Perlman just ain't that guy. I can't think of anyone who does the Clancy Brown thing nearly as well as Clancy Brown - and he isn't going to do it.

But if this ends up with the original Highlander released on Blu Ray then I'm good with it. At least something good will come out of this mess....