Marisa Abela Joins the ‘Highlander’ Reboot

Preview:

• Marisa Abela is the newest recruit for the ‘Highlander’ reboot.
• Henry Cavill is starring within the film.
• ‘John Wick’ veteran Chad Stahelski will direct.

The forged is slowly coming collectively for ‘John Wick’ director Chad Stahelski’s deliberate re-imagining of Nineteen Eighties cult motion film ‘Highlander’.

We just lately realized that Russell Crowe will play a key position alongside Henry Cavill within the film, and now The Hollywood Reporter has realized that ‘Business’s Marisa Abela may even be a part of the staff.

Manufacturing is because of start in September, with taking pictures to happen in Scotland, England, and different locales resembling Hong Kong.

Associated Article: Russell Crowe Joins Henry Cavill in Chad Stahelski’s ‘Highlander’ Film

What was the story of ‘Highlander’?

The 1988 unique revolves round Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), a Scottish Highlander born within the sixteenth Century who’s someway immortal. He has survived via the centuries, and learns from Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery), that he’s a part of a race of many who can solely die when beheaded.

The ability of the slain immortal is absorbed into the victor, and they’re all competing for “The Prize” –– sufficient energy to rule Earth eternally. Connor’s largest menace is the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), a murderous brute of an immortal who needs that energy for himself and Connor should face him at an occasion often known as The Gathering.

There can, because the tagline famously reads, solely be one.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy, the primary movie is taken into account a cult traditional, dividing audiences into those that adore it and those that suppose it’s so unhealthy it’s nice. The film is known for its sword fights and its Queen-composed soundtrack.

It spawned a number of sequels (together with the much-maligned ‘Highlander II: The Quickening’, which tried to introduce the concept the immortals are aliens), varied spin-off TV sequence plus comics, video video games and a number of different merchandise.

Whereas Stahelski clearly loves the unique, he’s not above declaring its flaws:

“There’s not loads that occurs within the second act, It’s principally about bitchin’ flashbacks with Sean Connery mugging the digital camera. You watch the film, and it has no enterprise being good or cool or attention-grabbing, however for no matter motive — the fisheye lenses, bizarre sword fights, f****d up dialogue, and the Queen soundtrack make it one of many funnest motion pictures you’ll ever watch.”

Stahelski on his plans

Right here’s what Stahelski needed to say about his concepts:

“ ‘Highlander,’ I’ll let you know, if we get our s**t collectively and pull off a function, now we have concepts for days in regards to the coolest characters and how one can make that an epic TV present. I simply suppose that’s a wealthy, wealthy mythology. Our story engages a whole lot of the identical characters and stuff like that. However we’ve additionally introduced in parts of all of the TV exhibits, and we’re attempting to do a little bit of a prequel, a setup to The Gathering, so now we have room to develop the property.”

As for the story:

“We’re bringing it ahead from the early 1500s within the Highlands to the past present-day New York and Hong Kong. There’s huge alternative for motion… and it’s a little bit of a love story — however not the way you suppose.”

And the way he pitched it to his main man, per Collider:

“My promoting level to [Henry] was, look, you’ve acquired a man that’s been alive for over 500 years. He’s the final particular person on the planet that wished to be on this state of affairs. So that you get to cowl fairly a broad unfold of a personality arc… and also you get to expertise somebody that’s skilled over 500 years and form of performed [with many types of] martial arts.”

The script for the brand new film has up to now seen work from Ryan J. Condal, Michael Finch and Kerry Williamson.

Finch’s script is the latest draft, and by way of THR, it’s taking some diversions from the unique because it builds out a extra complicated and deeper world. In line with sources, the function appears to be populated by extra immortals who additionally occur to be from varied components of the world.

Who’re the brand new recruits taking part in within the ‘Highlander’ re-imagining?

In line with present stories, Crowe can be a tackle the “Spaniard” Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, as dropped at life by Connery (with zero trace of a Spanish accent!)

So Crowe could possibly be displaying up as a veteran immortal warrior who helps Cavill’s character obtain his future.

As for Abela, she apparently has one of many different lead roles, a brand new characters for the story, an immortal who’s a instructor of swordplay and one in all MacLeod’s previous loves.

The place else have we seen Marisa Abela?

Abela acquired her huge break within the aforementioned UK/HBO sequence ‘Business’, in regards to the lives and loves of employees within the British banking.

She just lately received a BAFTA TV award for her efficiency within the third season of the present that has gained acclaim in each the UK and the States.

And she or he performed singer Amy Winehouse in musical biopic ‘Again to Black’ and stole scenes from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett in ‘Black Bag,’Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller that was launched earlier this yr to rave evaluations (albeit lower than stellar field workplace outcomes).

When will the ‘Highlander’ reboot be on screens?

Regardless of Amazon MGM’s clear enthusiasm for the film, it isn’t but at a degree the place the corporate can set a launch date, however ‘Highlander’ is seemingly destined for theaters fairly than direct to streaming.

Listing of Films and TV Reveals within the ‘Highlander’ Franchise:

Purchase ‘Highlander’ Films On Amazon