Summit Entertainment is attempting to recruit Ryan Reynolds to lead the cast of its upcoming relaunch of the classic action swordplay franchise.
As you may recall, a Highlander reboot has been in development over at Summit for a few years now with little progress reporter. However, we now have word the studio is seeking a lead actor, which means it is likely close to wrapping up the development phase and nearly ready to start filming.
Reynolds is the front-runner to play Connor MacLeod, an immortal swordsman who spends much of his time looking over his shoulder for other immortal swordsmen who might want to chop off his head and absorb his power.
We don’t have any real clues about what the plot for this new film will be, or how closely it will follow the 1986 film that spawned a massive fantasy adventure franchise – four sequel films and three television series – the first time.
For Reynolds, choosing to accept ot reject this particular role must be a difficult decision. He’s right at the point in his career where his next film could either launch him into stardom or cement him in semi-stardom forever, so he has to choose very carefully where to go next, and Highlander is only one of a few films which are seeking his attention.
No matter who they hire, however, it’s a clear sign of progress for the film. I would expect the studio to try and get the cast in place by the end of summer, so filming can begin in the fall.
If it all stays on track, we might see Highlander hit theaters during the summer of 2014.
