We cannot wait for the reboot of the Highlander franchise, and it’s now been confirmed that a major Doctor Who star will be joining the cast. In the latest update, which was delivered this week, it was confirmed that Karen Gillan, who played Amy Pond between 2010 and 2013 would be joining the project, alongside other major stars including Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe. “My dialect coach can sit this one out… so excited to be an actual Highlander in Highlander,” she joked of her announcement, referring to her natural Scottish accent.
It was revealed that the actress will be playing Heather, the first wife of the immortal warrior Connor MacLeod. The role was originally played by Beatie Edney in the original 1986 film, which spawned a media franchise. Her followers were thrilled with the announcement, as one said: “Fantastic!!! True fans of the original Highlander and your career rejoice!”
A second penned: “Oh, how great!!! I do hope that this film picks up where we left off with the original and becomes the real successor,” while a third wrote: “I was excited to hear Cavill was going to be in it. Now I’m even more excited!” and a fourth enthused: “AHHHHHH yes. I’m here for this!!!”
What is Highlander?
The upcoming Highlander is a reboot of the 1986 fantasy-action-adventure film of the same name. It starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, a 16th century man who discovers he is an immortal after recovering from a wound that should have caused his death. He soon learns of the existence of other immortals and a secret war that eventually takes place in New York City in 1985.
Alongside Lambert, the film starred Sean Connery as Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, an Egyptian immortal who trains Connor; Clancy Brown as The Kurgan, a brutal barbarian and fellow immortal who is the nemesis of Connor; and Roxanne Hart as Brenda Wyatt, a forensic scientist investigating a series of beheadings in New York City.
© Snap/ShutterstockThe film, which had a soundtrack written by Queen, has since become a cult classic film and it also spawned a six-season TV series that drew inspiration from the film. It starred Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod, from the MacLeod clan; Alexandra Vandernoot as Duncan’s lover, Tessa Noel; and Stan Kirsch as Richie Ryan, a thief and close friend to Duncan.
Who else will be in the Highlander reboot?
The reboot was first announced back in 2023 and it has managed to attract several big name actors. Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) will be leading the film as Connor MacLeod, while Russell Crowe (Gladiator) will be inheriting Sean Connery’s role Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) has also signed onto the film as the villainous Kurgan.
© Getty ImagesAlso joining the film is Industry star Marisa Abela, but while it’s been confirmed that the 28-year-old star has been cast in a leading role, it hasn’t been confirmed what this will be. Marisa is also known for her appearance as Amy Winehouse in the biopic Back to Black, which was released in 2024. Other credits include Barbie and COBRA.
Chad Stahelski (John Wick) will be heading the project and previously hinted that the new film could also be the start of its own franchise. Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he said: “We’re trying to do a bit of a prequel, a set-up to The Gathering [a 1992 episode of the series], so we have room to grow the property. If we got our [expletive] together and pulled off the feature, like, yeah, we have ideas for days about how to make the coolest characters and to make that an epic TV show.”
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