Posted in: Amazon MGM Studios, Movies | Tagged: highlander

Highlander: Max Zhang Is The Latest To Join The Cast

Max Zhang has joined the cast of the Highlander reboot, which will reportedly start filming at the end of the month.

Published Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:18:03 -0500

Article Summary

Max Zhang joins the Highlander reboot cast, with filming expected to begin at the end of the month.
The reboot endured years in development hell, with new momentum after moving to Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists.
Henry Cavill leads a star-studded cast that includes Dave Bautista, Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, and Marisa Abela.
Director Chad Stahelski's vision and a fresh cast push Highlander toward its long-awaited return to the big screen.

The Highlander reboot has taken another step toward existing, and every day it looks like this film might actually get made. It's been a long and hard road for this reboot to get off the ground, but they hit the ground running once the project went to Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists. Dave Bautista is the one who has technically been involved with this project the longest because he was actually cast back in 2015, with Chad Stahelski confirmed to direct in 2016. Henry Cavill joined the cast in an unknown role in 2021, but it was eventually confirmed that he was the lead. Since the rights moved back over to Amazon MGM Studios in April, they have been filling out the cast pretty consistently, and reports say that production is set to start at the end of this month. The cast has reportedly grown again, with Deadline reporting that Max Zhang has joined the cast. Zhang has a background in stuntwork, going all the way back to Croaching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and considering Stahelski's background, it really isn't surprising he would bring on more actors who got their start in stuntwork.

: Highlander Poster: Credit: Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, Davis-Panzer Productions, Highlander Productions Limited

: L-R: MARCH 20, 2023: Chad Stahelski at the Premiere of Lionsgate's John Wick: Chapter 4 at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. Editorial credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com | January 24, 2024: Henry Cavill attends the World Premiere of "Argylle" at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, England. Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com

Highlander Has Been Languishing In Development Hell Since 2008

Highlander has been on a bit of a weird journey from the beginning. When the film was first released in theaters, it didn't do that well critically or commercially. It's one of the old school cult classic films that found a following once it went to home video, and people have been obsessed ever since. There was a sequel that everyone hated, and people like to pretend it doesn't even exist, so there's this reboot. It was first announced in 2008, but nothing much happened with it until it was announced that John Wick director Chad Stahelski was signing onto the project in 2016. This followed the runaway success of the first film for Lionsgate in 2014, before the franchise became a true juggernaut with the sequel in 2017.

In May 2021, we finally got some casting confirmations as it was announced that Henry Cavill would star as Connor MacLeod in the project, but there was still no movement forward. In 2023, it was announced that the project was happening, under Lionsgate, with Cavill starring, Stahelski directing, and a script from Mike Finch. There was another casting rumor, such as Michael Fassbender being in talks to be the villain, but nothing ever set in stone, and its absence from the Lionsgate stage makes a lot more sense now. In late 2024, it was reported that they wanted to film very soon, eyeing a possible 2026 release date, but nothing came from it. Considering how long Stahelski and Cavill have been working on the project, there is a chance that a lot more of the pre-production has already been done, and they just need to get some contracts signed, get some schedules ready, and go.

In April 2025, it was officially confirmed that United Artists and Amazon MGM Studios gained "full rights to the franchise, which Lionsgate developed, with potential to also develop a new series." Since then, they have been actively bringing on cast members. Cavill has remained on the project, and they have also added Russell Crowe as the swordsman Ramirez, Dave Bautista as The Kurgen, Karen Gillan as Heather, MacLeod's mortal wife, and Marisa Abela as MacLeod's modern romantic interest. Highlander had begun a new journey, and one that many films before it had failed: the long trek out of development hell.

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