In a shocking twist that will make Hollywood accountants everywhere breathe a sigh of relief, Lionsgate has officially walked away from rebooting Highlander — not because of bad scripts, cursed actors, or ancient prop swords, but because director Chad Stahelski wanted $180 million , and Lionsgate simply wasn’t having it.

Yes, you read that right. The man behind the billion-dollar John Wick franchise wanted nearly twice the box office gross of the entire original Highlander series combined , just to bring back immortal sword fighters and one of cinema’s most iconic taglines:

“There can be only one.”

🗡️ So What Happened?

According to The Wrap , Chad Stahelski , known for making Keanu Reeves do flips off buildings while shooting people, pitched a vision so grand it would’ve made Aragorn blush. But Lionsgate, ever the budget-conscious studio, said:

“We love immortal warriors as much as the next guy, but $180M? That’s more than half of what The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power costs per episode.”

Enter Amazon , the streaming giant that recently dropped $1 billion on a single season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power , and suddenly, Highlander didn’t sound so expensive anymore.

Amazon is now reportedly stepping in to fund the film, with production expected to begin in June 2025 — and yes, they’re still keeping Henry Cavill as Connor MacLeod 2.0.

⚔️ Wait… Wasn’t Highlander A Cult Classic?

Yes! And therein lies the problem.

The original Highlander (1986) was a British cult sci-fi fantasy directed by Russell Mulcahy and starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown as immortals who battle through history until only one remains standing.

Over the years, it spawned multiple sequels, animated films, TV shows, and even an ill-advised musical — yet the entire franchise has only pulled in around $141 million at the global box office , adjusted for inflation.

So when Chad Stahelski came knocking with a $180M price tag , Lionsgate did some quick math and decided to politely decline.

😬 Oh Right… And There Was Also The “Henry Cavill Problem”

Look, we love him as Superman and Geralt of Rivia, but let’s not pretend the last few years have been smooth sailing for CavillCorp™ .

• Argylle bombed hard enough to make spy movies question their life choices.
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare did okay at the box office, but critics were less than impressed.

So while Cavill is undeniably charismatic and built like a marble statue dipped in protein shakes, studios are apparently getting a little nervous about putting him front and center without guaranteed returns.

Still, he’s got options:

• He’s attached to a live-action Voltron movie
• Exploring a Warhammer 40,000 adaptation
• And now, if Amazon follows through, he might soon be slicing his way through eternity in Highlander

📅 What’s Next?

If everything goes according to plan, Stahelski’s Highlander could hit theaters sometime between 2027 and 2028 — assuming no budget disputes, divine lightning bolts, or surprise musical numbers get in the way.

Until then, fans will just have to keep repeating the original tagline over and over again…

“There can be only one… financially viable reboot.”

Also read:

• “John Wick 5” Will Blow Your Mind — And Not Just Because of the Gun Fu
• Why Jason Statham’s A Working Man Surprised Everyone — Even Fans
• “Rambo: Young Blood” Is Coming – And Sylvester Stallone Wants Ryan Gosling To Take Over