Justin Lin is the director behind such films as Fast & Furious, Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Annapolis, Finishing the Game, and of course, Better Luck Tomorrow. He's teaming with Iron Man screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway for a new take on the Highlander mythology. Here's the press release:
SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT HARNESSES FILMMAKING TEAM BEHIND FAST & FURIOUS FOR THE STUDIO'S RE-IMAGINATION OF HIGHLANDERThe original 1986 Highlander tells the tale of Connor Macleod, an immortal Scottish swordsman battling other immortals across time... until there is only one. Okay, it sounds dumb, but it was a fairly cool movie for its time that spawned several godawful sequels and TV series.
Acclaimed Action Director Justin Lin and Producer Neal H. Moritz Join IRON MAN Screenwriters Marcum and Holloway, Original HIGHLANDER Producer Peter Davis on Board
Los Angeles, CA September 22, 2009 - Summit Entertainment announced today that it has tapped the filmmaking team behind this spring's hit film FAST & FURIOUS – director Justin Lin and producer Neal H. Moritz – to direct and produce respectively the studio's re-imagination of the cult film HIGHLANDER. Summit's HIGHLANDER is being written by IRON MAN screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. Peter Davis, long time producer of HIGHLANDER, will also produce the film. Summit acquired the rights to remake the cult classic from Davis - Panzer Productions, Inc. in May of 2008.
Summit's film will expand on the original HIGHLANDER's core mythology of immortals battling amongst us, hunting each other through the ages by tapping its newly minted creative team to take its re-imagination to new heights. Plans call for the re-imagination to spur a new franchise for the studio.
"We are privileged to have this amazing opportunity to reinvent one of the great franchises," said Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairman of Summit Entertainment. "Neal and Justin have proven more than once that they can deliver an entertaining and exciting blockbuster."
Added Peter Davis of Davis-Panzer Productions, "Justin and Neal are an exciting directing/producing team and I am confident that they will deliver a truly dynamic film while being totally respectful of HIGHLANDER Legend."
In HIGHLANDER, after centuries of dueling to survive against others like him, Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his kind, a murderously brutal barbarian, who lusts for the fabled Prize.
Justin Lin most recently directed the hit action film FAST & FURIOUS, the fourth film of the FAST & FURIOUS franchise. He also directed THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, and BETTER LUCK TOMORROW.
In addition to FAST & FURIOUS, Neal Moritz and his Original Film banner have produced a myriad of action films including the upcoming FLASH GORDON and THE GREEN HORNET as well as I AM LEGEND, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS, and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.
Lin and Moritz are represented by CAA.
Could this work? Yes. While the original Highlander was cool, with a kickass premise, let's face it -- the movie hasn't aged very well. The story could use an update. Hell, they need to take an eraser to the entire franchise after the original movie. I'm on board for this. The only question remains -- will they retain any of that badass Queen soundtrack?
