One of the big projects that Henry Cavill is involved in is the return of Highlander. The film will be directed by Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick franchise, and that means that we will have a good dose of action with the sharpest steel possible.
The filmmaker spoke to Collider about this, saying that he is facing a new audiovisual challenge, since sword fights are much more complex to film than sequences with shots. “Sometimes, A three-minute sword fight can be a bit boring. So he worries me more: 'Am I going to bore you with a sword movie?' And how can I fit in guns, martial arts, car chases and history? I have to get all that too,” explains the filmmaker.
“With swords it's a little trickier because I have to trust that my actors are going to swing this piece of metal at each other, and hopefully not gouge anyone's eye out. In all the sword movies, “Someone gets a puncture or a bump in the head, or something like that. It takes a little more skill and dedication. So that's always a concern.”
In this pre-production stage, Stahelski has especially focused on finding the suitable teachers who can teach the cast how to use a sword duly. Let's remember that the only way to kill the immortal characters in the film is by separating the head from the rest of the body, so a good blow to the neck is a more than effective movement for this.
“We've got the right people. We've got the right trainers. We've found some of the best swordsmen I've ever met in my life in the last six months, and they're helping us. It's more about how to put it all together and create something new.” It's not The Princess Bride, or Tiger and Dragon, or Master & Commander, or Zorro. What's this new style of action or sword fighting that might get people excited? That's what's keeping me up at night.
There are some very interesting sword styles out there, but most of the time, we don't have much time, or we don't have access to some people, or cast members… sometimes you only have three or four days, or three or four weeks to train cast members. Actors are no different than you. If you had become an NBA basketball player, could you do it in three weeks? Could you do it in three months? Could you do it in three years? However, the burden is on us to make them look like the best in the world that has ever existed.”
Regarding the issue of dates, for now we do not have an exact day for the premiere, but Stahelski has revealed that Filming will begin in Scotland in January 2025. The incredible landscapes of the country of the United Kingdom will be the reference to shape a project that the director is eager to carry out.
It's another opportunity to do a property that I love. I love what it's about, I love working with immortality and love stories through time. I think it's a good way to take a great period piece and science fiction, and mix them together,” he reveals. The immortals. Let's hope that production goes from strength to strength.
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