The internet was overjoyed when it was announced that The Matrix 4 and John Wick: Chapter 4 would be released simultaneously, with Keanu Reeves Day instantly becoming one of the hottest dates on the 2021 calendar. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus pandemic has seen those plans thrown out of the window, as Neo’s fourth outing was delayed by almost an entire year and John Wick’s return was also pushed back.
Wick director Chad Stahelski isn’t letting that get him down, however, and is already looking towards the future, as the filmmaker has admitted that he’s planning for the Highlander reboot to be his next movie. A new version of the cult classic has been in the works for well over a decade at this point, with Stahelski just the latest in a long line of names to sign on at various stages, but in a recent interview, he admitted that Highlander is currently his number one priority.
“Highlander is very, very near and dear to what I want to do next. I’m really curious about what I can do with Highlander and how I reinvent the hero worship stuff. Those fascinate me a lot. I just like more of the original properties that you can grow from as opposed to step into a number five or a number six. That’s all. Just choice.”
With the only other project on his schedule involving him stepping into a number four, it certainly sounds as though Stahelski wants to make Highlander as soon as he can. To do that, however, he’ll have to succeed where many others have failed by dragging the reboot out of development hell, after names like Justin Lin, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Cruise and Dave Bautista have all found themselves linked at one point or another to no avail.
Even Stahelski has been attached for almost four years without any real forward momentum being made, but he certainly seems determined enough to be the one that finally gets Highlander over the finishing line, and if his previous work is any indication, then the property could be set for a major reinvention as an action-packed fantasy franchise.