Dave Bautista Boards the ‘Highlander’ Reboot

Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe are also part of the cast for the new film, which re-imagines the 1986 movie about immortal warriors battling for supremacy.

(Left) Dave Bautista stars in 'In the Lost Lands'. (Right) Clancy Brown as The Kurgan in 'Highlander'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Preview:

Dave Bautista is making a deal to join the new ‘Highlander’.
Henry Cavill is starring alongside Russell Crowe.
‘John Wick’ veteran Chad Stahelski will direct.

Add one more to the ever-growing cast of Chad Stahelski’s ‘Highlander’ reboot, which stars Henry Cavill. According to Deadline, Dave Bautista –– who had been rumored previously –– is now officially making a deal to join the cast.

Bautista will be playing a version of the villainous Kurgan (more on him below, as played in the 1986 original by Clancy Brown).

He joins a cast that also already includes Russell Crowe and ‘Black Bag’s Marisa Abela.

Production is due to begin in September, with shooting to take place in Scotland, England, and other locales such as Hong Kong.

Related Article: Marisa Abela Joins Henry Cavill in Chad Stahelski’s ‘Highlander’ Movie

What was the story of ‘Highlander’?

(L to R) Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod and Clancy Brown as The Kurgan in 'Highlander'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

The 1988 original revolves around Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), a Scottish Highlander born in the 16th Century who is somehow immortal. He has survived through the centuries, and learns from Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery), that he is part of a race of many who can only die when beheaded.

The power of the slain immortal is absorbed into the victor, and they are all competing for “The Prize” –– enough power to rule Earth forever. Connor’s biggest threat is the Kurgan, a murderous brute of an immortal who wants that power for himself and Connor must face him at an event known as The Gathering.

There can, as the tagline famously reads, only be one.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy, the first film is considered a cult classic, dividing audiences into those who love it and those who think it’s so bad it’s great. The movie is famous for its sword fights and its Queen-composed soundtrack.

Stahelski on his plans

Chad Stahelski attends 'Wick Is Pain' Screening At Beyond Fest at Aero Theatre on May 08, 2025 in Santa Monica, California. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Lionsgate.

Here’s what Stahelski had to say about his ideas:

“ ‘Highlander,’ I’ll tell you, if we get our s**t together and pull off a feature, we have ideas for days about the coolest characters and how to make that an epic TV show. I just think that’s a rich, rich mythology. Our story engages a lot of the same characters and stuff like that. But we’ve also brought in elements of all the TV shows, and we’re trying to do a bit of a prequel, a setup to The Gathering, so we have room to grow the property.”

As for the story:

“We’re bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the Highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong. There’s big opportunity for action… and it’s a bit of a love story — but not how you think.”

The script for the new movie has so far seen work from Ryan J. Condal, Michael Finch and Kerry Williamson.

Dave Bautista Also Joins ‘Road House 2’

Deadline’s report also makes mention that Bautista will also be joining the cast of the sequel to Amazon MGM's ‘Road House ’, for which we previously reported he was in talks.

He’ll appear opposite Jake Gyllenhaal for the new movie, which has ‘Nobody’s Ilya Naishuller directing.