Highlander needs the Batman Begins treatment. - Highlander: The Source (2007) Discussion

[–] mangorick 16 years ago

I think there could be a another viable, interesting Highlander film, but it will only be made in twenty years long after the spate of terrible movies are forgotten, and fresh blood can take the helm at production and acting.

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[–] vny109-1 16 years ago

And they need to eliminate the "there can only be one" theme cause obviously there can't.

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[–] toadmiller 16 years ago

I liked that part. "There can only be one", added an interesting dynamic to the story that rationalized some of the acts of the 'evil' immortals and fueled the angst and righteous factor in the 'good' immortals. The bad guys wanted to be that 'one' and while the good guys didn't necessarily want to be the 'one' they also didn't want one of the bad guys to claim the prize.

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[–] Jacks_lack_of_suprise 16 years ago

I always thought that Methos was the best character. I had hoped that a spinoff would be made with him. YET instead they make one with that annoying chick. If they make another movie it should be a prequal about methos and his life.

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[–] joekerr08 16 years ago

damn brotha get offa methos nutz willya?

sincerly yours
michael

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[–] nickm-71961 8 years ago

its 30 years since the first film its time for new movies get a unknown actor and sign them up for five with in 6 years before they get too old for the role as they are not ment to age i like the seris which had immortal women too

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[–] jwcomo 16 years ago

A fresh episodic story that depicts, in a less campy and more sophisticated way, what it would be like to live for four hundred years while watching all those you know and love slowly age and die while you stay the same?

Try "New Amsterdam."

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[–] robbyego 16 years ago

To jwcomo: I really want to like "New Am" but the acting so far has been pretty stilted. Here's hoping.

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[–] crowboy505 16 years ago

I think it needs to start over but with a twist.. drop the "highlander" name and call it.. "the gathering" but elaborate on why the swords and beheadings. have the imortals as cursed representatives from each ancient family striving to gain knowledge and power from the source that cursed them..add romance and betrayal-mix pour over ice.

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[–] billiondollarbaby_2007 16 years ago

After this, if I were in control of the franchise...

I'd do away with Duncan MacLeod, go back to Connor MacLeod and have a series based on him and this time really fill out his timeline. Completely ignore Endgame because that sucked too and not even mention Highlander II or The Sorcerer.

Duncan was great, but he had his time.

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[–] bobbyegrace 16 years ago

Why don't we just erase EVERYTHING about Highlander except the first film and start over with some very good directors and scriptwriters. Connor is the coolest character to me, so they should just stick with him in my opinion.

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[–] dengeist 16 years ago

The reboot came in 1992, it was called Highlander: The Series. The only thing to do is start over with a new character and blend the qualities of Duncan and Mythos. That's as good as it gets.

Dear Vorenus, I don't **** your wife.

-Erinne "Rome"

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[–] Macgyver12186 16 years ago

u get that with ne highlander video game though i agree There need to be a new highlander treament

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[–] Princessofscots 15 years ago

Ok people....
How many times doesn it have to be said, there is a reason that Conner went away.
Can you honestly see anyone else playing him but Lambert?
And well he can't.

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[–] gossec 15 years ago

Doesn't anyone besides me feel that reinventing film after film, based on previous work, remakes and sequels are becoming common place and more a matter of cashing in rather than for artistic reasons? If I am honest I did not care too much for the new Batman as Christian Bale's growling as Batman put me right off despite the money it earned. If the producers and director of the film had said to Christian, "listen Christian this growling has got to stop, people can't understand a word you are saying. Just say the line as you are doing as Bruce Wayne."
However, moving on a reinvent of Highlander, along with other films that have slowly gone down hill with each passing sequel will probably happen anyway, it all depends who throws the money at it.
Gerard Butler would be a good choice for a new highlander, he's played a few sword epics in his day and being Scottish, although not a must has got to be a plus.

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[–] chadius1 13 years ago

Rebooting and remaking movies may be a cash grab on the part of the studios, but we the audience still eat it all up. That's why they do it and i see no reason why they should stop. Sure, it seems like hollywood is running out of ideas for original new films, but the same could be said in music for many genres of music now that remake old songs, or just plain steal parts of songs music or lyrics and throw it into a new tune. I don't know whether thats the case, but people don't seem to mind.
I would love to see Highlander redone. Normally i would say Lambert is the only one who could ever play connor, but whatever, iconic characters are getting recast all the time in these new movies and i think i could adapt fairly quickly if they cast the right person. That right person by the way is not Gerard Butler because he is almost 40, and if they did Highlander right, ie- a trilogy of movies with the final gathering taking place in the third movie, Gerard would be way too old by the third movie. They need someone around 30 years old i think??? Unless they want to spend money on digital effects to make the actor young like they did to Jeff Bridges in Tron: Legacy. But that technology needs to improve a bit still imo.

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[–] GoldenGoose 15 years ago

why drop the name? its called Highlander fo the simpl reason that the Highlander is the main focus of the story, a remake of the first film should be done a la Batman as per the original posters idea. Lambert was perfet for the role, he had the brooding quality that told of his years of see those around him pass in to the mists of time. they should forget aout the series and the sequals simply because they are mince and hold no real relevance to the original. the watchers are bloody pointless and lets face it so is adrian paul. keep the sound track because it is awesome and at least have more back story.

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[–] Angel-Ireul 15 years ago

At this point in pop culture at least 'Highlander' is a synonym for an immortal who can only die through decapitation. They could call it Highlander and set it in an ancient African city with an Arabian protagonist and it wouldn't matter.

F-ck no, I think its hilarious - The Comedian
It's like a dirty thought in a nice clean mind. PUV

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[–] generalzod7575 16 years ago

How can you not count the first movie? I would not go around saying you are a highlander fan cuz you sir are not

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[–] Tauking 16 years ago

Summit takes on 'Highlander' redo
'Iron Man' writers on board for script
By Borys Kit

May 20, 2008, 02:39 PM
Who says there can be only one?

Summit Entertainment is bringing back to the big screen the 1986 sci-fi cult hit "Highlander," with "Iron Man" co-writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway on board to pen the reimagining.

The original "Highlander" starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown as immortal beings battling among humans, hunting down one another and collecting more power. Lambert played Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod, Connery an Egyptian and Clancy a barbarian known as the Kurgan. "There can be only one" was a line repeated throughout the film. The movie spawned four sequels and three television series.

Summit acquired the rights to remake the cult classic from Davis/Panzer Prods. Peter Davis, one of the original producers of the 1986 film, also will produce the new film.

By acquiring the rights to the property, Summit gains a recognizable brand and a franchise with worldwide popularity amonng both the young and old.

Summit's president of production Erik Feig, along with the company's senior vp production Geoff Shaevitz and creative executive Gillian Bohrer, will oversee the project for the studio.

Marcum and Holloway, repped by ICM, also penned a remake of Sam Peckinpah's "Convoy," set up at Paramount.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if545c66bc7 e57054442cdd46721ae9c0

"I'd kiss you if you weren't so damn ugly." Dreamland Pt 2

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[–] Tauking 16 years ago

I wonder if this will actually happen and who they would cast. Do you think they would leave it more open ended for sequel possibilities?

"I'd kiss you if you weren't so damn ugly." Dreamland Pt 2

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[–] Biffe 16 years ago

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235529/

The most dangerous bomb is the F-bomb and it requires censorship! All other bombs airs live on CNN.

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[–] Tauking 16 years ago

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235529/
Wow, I can't believe they have a page up already!
I can't wait to the wildly wrong casting list is added, lol.

"I'd kiss you if you weren't so damn ugly." Dreamland Pt 2

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[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

So supposedly a script was finally submitted about a year ago, but no other news since then. What gives??

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[–] sickle-1 16 years ago

I agree with you that it needs to be rebooted like Batman Begins and James Bond by I also think that the producers who own the rights to this series and characters need to swallow their egos and pride and either

1. Sell the rights to someone quite worthy or

2. Hire an outside source but have no involvement whatsoever in the production.

I think also they need to come up with a new character and call it "the Immortals" or perhaps a song title from "A Kind of Magic" like Princes of the Universe or "Who wants to live forever?" etc - just something/anything to get away from the bad rep "Highlander" has to get the bad taste out of the fans' mouths.

One more thing though - I utterly enjoyed the tv series - I think it was way better then any of the movies and even Endgame which was a continuation.

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[–] jetdtw 16 years ago

given the fact Panzer is still involved i cant see this being the total reboot that everyone is wanting. It'll most likely be a small budget and hence iffy actors and will most likely have to sell its props to finish again. And given the fact that it is Panzer the end will be left open for sequals. I really don't think that it needs a remake, yes the sequals arent popular (tho appart from 3 i quite like them) and alot of people want a reboot but the first certainly doesnt need a re-make. I think alot of you are going to be very dissapointed

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[–] ferdinandhudson 16 years ago

Hate to be the bringer of bad news but Panzer isn't involved at all since he died March 2007 shortly after the re-editing of The Source was finished.

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[–] dblmaven 16 years ago

I agree that it needs fresh eyes and minds to redo it. I really hope they don't redo the original movie. It may be a cult classic but it's still a classic!

What I don't understand about the most recent movie is why David Abramowitz wasn't more involved in the writing. His philosophical and talmudic perspectives gave the series a lot of the best episodes. I thought he was involved in the beginning of production on the source but I didn't see his name anywhere on IMDB where this movie was concerned. Maybe better for him.

It could be that he just doesn't want to be involved anymore considering his friendship with Bill Panzer. But IMO he should be the "go-to" guy for any new Highlander stories. He writes with HEART.

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[–] ferdinandhudson 16 years ago

What I don't understand about the most recent movie is why David Abramowitz wasn't more involved in the writing. His philosophical and talmudic perspectives gave the series a lot of the best episodes. I thought he was involved in the beginning of production on the source but I didn't see his name anywhere on IMDB where this movie was concerned. Maybe better for him.

Basically all the Highlander sequels has had the basic story originated by Bill Panzer. From what I've heard Bill let his WGA credentials fall by the wayside by the time The Source was written and had Stephen Kelvin Watkins ghostwrite for him. Joel B Soisson added his magic touch to the script but he wouldn't even leave his name on it so opted to call himself Mark Bradley. Abramowitz was brought in to touch up the script while being shot in Lithuania but how much of it that was used is hard to say, a good guess would be Joe's and Duncan's final words which were brutally butchered in the re-cut version that was seen on Sci-Fi Channel and issued on the US DVD.

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[–] donchart 15 years ago

I think that the original idea(from the original director) for the last movie was better, when Panzer picked it up because it was dropped originally i thought...great the people that gave us an awesome series is going to do the movie!...they failed miserably...the show was never really about the gathering or the immortals...it was about Duncan's life and the trials and tribulations that Duncan went through being an immortal....character development...not just a stupid story line...before the Highlander stories(the show)...made u believe that it was possible that these immortals could exist...it wasn't a fairy tale with stupid fake characters(the guardian)and an unrealistic future. i think that this series, with a little more money and the right directors could "reboot" this series and make a viable trilogy that everyone could enjoy, like the first movie, whether Adrian Paul is in it or not..although i would still like to see him in it.

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[–] jbowmore 15 years ago

I agree that the Highlander franchise is ripe for a reboot. The original film was great, enough to spawn the declining spiral that followed.

The first and biggest mistake the franchise made was to even try and tell sequel stories. The first film was the end of the story. Follow-up films should have been prequels instead.

I think they knew this when they started the television series—since it was a partial reboot itself—retconning the first film as simply the beginning of "The Gathering". Then they fell into the same trap, with horrible sequel films.

At this point the core concept is still great, but the brand-name has been sullied.

I would take the suggestion of another poster, and call the new film Princes of the Universe. Keep the Queen songs written to fit the concept, and otherwise create a new character to tell the story about. If it is well done the followup stories should be the character's past, not what they do with the prize of becoming the final "one".

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