Director Chad Stahelski has confirmed his upcoming “Highlander” remake will indeed use some of the iconic Queen songs from the original film! The band wrote and performed several songs for the 1986 movie, releasing the album “A Kind of Magic” to serve as its official soundtrack.
While speaking to The Wrap about “John Wick: Chapter 4,” the director was asked about the classic score and if we might hear it in his upcoming reboot.
“Yes,” Stahelski said. “Probably in a different way than you think, but hardcore yes. We’re trying to encapsulate everything you loved about the original with more – meaning we want to ground it, we want it to be a great chance at world-building and mythology. But we still want to keep it fun. It’s like the ‘Wick’ movies. You want to experience this world, you want to believe it’s real. But it’s also five degrees off from reality.”
This is really the perfect summation of the “Highlander” franchise as well as the songs Queen contributed to it. The first film, directed by Russell Mulcahy, as well as its sequels and small screen entries center around a battle between immortal beings known as Highlanders in modern-day Manhattan. Replacing the scenic moors of Scottland with underground parking garages in a city environment.
Queen provided fantasy-fueled rock epics asking questions like “Who wants to live forever?” These tracks were placed alongside Michael Kamen’s gorgeous original score. This musical choice allowed the rich mythology of the story to play alongside its much campier elements. A balance that Stahelski seems very aware of and wants to preserve.
“This is a movie with immortals running around chopping each others’ heads off,” Stahelski explained about “Highlander.” “There’s a certain ridiculousness to it. It’s like the ‘Wick’s. We ride the tone. Everybody in the movie thinks its real. But we as an audience can get our heads around it – look, suspend disbelief. We’re trying to get you on board for this amazing journey with people who have lived hundreds of years. It’s a challenge. But I’m very excited.”
Currently, the “Highlander” remake is set to start shooting next year. Henry Cavill will be in the lead role immortalized by Christopher Lambert. We’ll keep you posted on updates as they become available.
