Dave Bautista to Play Villain in "Highlander" Remake

Dave Bautista is in final talks to play the villain in Amazon MGM’s remake of the 1980s cult classic "Highlander".

He will join Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe in the action fantasy, which hails from Amazon MGM’s United Artists banner.

Chad Stahelski is directing the feature that is due to begin principal photography at the end of September and shoot in the UK and Hong Kong.

The original Highlander, released in 1986, starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, a Medieval Scottish Highlander who discovers he is an immortal warrior. With the help of a swordsman named Ramirez, played by Sean Connery, the titular Highlander battles other immortals across the centuries, culminating in a modern battle in which, like the classic line of dialogue goes, “there can be only one.” The movie went back and forth from various time.

In the remake, Cavill is playing MacLeod while Crowe is Ramirez. Industry actress Marisa Abela also has a leading part.

Bautista will have the plum role of the immortal barbarian known as The Kurgen, who has been killing other immortals across the centuries in order to absorb their essence. Clancy Brown memorably played the character in the original movie.

Bautista’s imminent boarding is both a full circle moment and a fancast materializing IRL. 

Bautista was circling Kurgen back in 2015 when a version was being put together under the direction of Cedric Nicolas-Troyan for Summit Entertainment. 

In recent months, fans have shipped Cavill and Bautista as opposing immortal warriors in fan-made trailers (look, we’ll to link to one, but it’s just bad.)

Michael Finch wrote the script for the remake. Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt are producing alongside Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski’s 87Eleven Entertainment, Josh Davis of Davis Panzer Productions, and Louise Rosner.

Bautista has been making Amazon one of his prime destinations, with Highlander just the latest feature project for the streamer. 

He has starred in Amazon action comedies "My Spy" and its sequel and is in post on action comedy "The Wrecking Crew", opposite Jason Momoa. He is also in talks to star in Amazon’s sequel to "The Roadhouse."