Karen Gillan has landed her next movie role, in the remake of an ’80s action classic.
The Doctor Who, Jumanji and Guardians of the Galaxy actor has joined the cast of the new version of Highlander.
Like the 1986 original, the film follows a Scottish warrior named Connor MacLeod, who discovers a secret group of immortals that frequently clash across history, and he is one of them.
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Henry Cavill plays MacLeod in this version, while Gillan will play his mortal wife Heather.
We’ve also got Russell Crowe as swordsman mentor Ramirez, and Gillan’s Guardians co-star Dave Bautista as as the villainous Kurgen. Actor Marisa Abela is also reported to have a big role in the project.
BBC
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Behind the scenes, John Wick director Chad Stahelski is helming the film, while John Wick: Chapter 4 writer Michael Finch is penning the script.
Gillan responded to the initial announcement by sharing it to her Instagram, and joked about not needing to hide her natural Scottish accent.
“My dialect coach can sit this one out…” she wrote. “So excited to be an actual Highlander in Highlander!!!”
Filming is set to take place in September in Scotland.
20th Century Studios
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Stahelski has been attached to the project for about a decade, and previously told Digital Spy about what it’s so important to him and how he’s approaching the reboot.
“I love the original, I know it’s dated in certain ways, but I love the vibe and the mythology,” he said.
“So, my take on it would be to somehow maintain the vibe and mythology and feeling of the first movie, not go off the rails with too much plot, and really develop the world of the immortals.
“I don’t care what the mortals are doing, I want to be invested in the immortal world and hold true to the original as much as I can.”
The Highlander reboot does not have a release date, but is set to be released theatrically. The original can be streamed with a StudioCanal Presents subscription.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.