# Highlander to be reimagined **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275 "2009-09-23T18:45:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/21 "2009-09-24T01:50:34Z")
I didn’t really want to post this in the Wild Wild West thread, but a Hollywood Trend of the last 10 years or so that bugs the shit out of me, but not as any sort of racist thing, is to re-image a classic movie by casting a black man in the lead, no matter how improbable. That was my big problem with WWW (as someone else pointed in that thread - having a joking, womanizing black man in a position of power being taken seriously and treated as a real authority figure in racist post-civil war America was too much of a stretch). My main problem with this, as I said, isn’t a racial thing, it’s a LAZY HOLLYWOOD thing. A bunch of coked up jackasses keep thinking that it’s real trendy and cool to simply take a classic movie, cast a black actor in a role originally played by a white guy, slap together some bullshit flimsy plot, and throw money at it. So I hope they don’t suddenly decide to be all trendy and cast Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) or some rapper as Connor MacLeod. As Ramirez? Damn straight! Self-styled Spaniard (Moor?), born in ancient Egypt? Bring on a black (whether American or English or wherever) Martial Artist type who can swing a sword and look good doing it and it’ll be gold! (Way better than a “Scotsman” played by a Frenchman and a “Spaniard” played by a Scotsman!) Clancy Brown owned the role of the Kurgan. I’m sorry to say that they’ll probably go after someone with name value or some damned wrestler or UFC guy, but I’d rather see a relatively unknown professional actor walk in and own the role again. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/22 "2009-09-24T04:59:02Z")
A re-imagining might answer two questions: Where baby Highlanders come from. What does happens when you kill on holy ground and why? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/23 "2009-09-24T07:29:52Z")
> [@](#): > > What does happens when you kill on holy ground and why? Just spitballing here. How about some sort of field disruption caused by the interaction of two different types of energy or high concentrations of nitrogen and other chemicals associated with large concentrations of dead/decaying things built up over time. Whether this takes the form of absorbing the Quickening energy or the always telegenic “big bada boom” I leave to someone who cares. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/24 "2009-09-24T07:39:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > As long as there are no sequels. Because, you know… Amen to that! At the time Highlander was one of my favorite movies but then they had to go and taint it with those sequels. Now I can’t think of Highlander anymore with out trhinking of those horrible follow ups. I feel violated. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/25 "2009-09-24T08:33:40Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > What does happens when you kill on holy ground and why? God strikes you dead. Because of magic. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/26 "2009-09-25T23:29:17Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Clancy Brown owned the role of the Kurgan. I’m sorry to say that they’ll probably go after someone with name value or some damned wrestler or UFC guy, but I’d rather see a relatively unknown professional actor walk in and own the role again. I always thought Triple H looked a bit like Clancy.😃 Of course, there’s no need for the Kurrgan to be any particular age, is there any reason Brown couldn’t play him again? It’s not like he’s old and decrepit. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/27 "2009-09-25T23:58:05Z")
I can’t see how they can do it. The TV show beat the horse to death, then stuffed it, beat it again, reshaped it as a pony, beat that, and then ran the whole thing through a blender for 3 more seasons. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/28 "2009-09-27T22:45:57Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > The TV show beat the horse to death, then stuffed it, beat it again, reshaped it as a pony, beat that, and then ran the whole thing through a blender for 3 more seasons. Nah, the TV series was okay the first season, really good for the bulk of its run, then horribly, horribly bad the last season. I swear, I think half the episodes that year were intended as backdoor pilots for “Highlander with a chick” spinoffs. Of course, when they finally did the spinoff they decided just to go with Amanda instead. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/29 "2009-09-27T23:04:03Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Clancy Brown owned the role of the Kurgan. I’m sorry to say that they’ll probably go after someone with name value or some damned wrestler or UFC guy, but I’d rather see a relatively unknown professional actor walk in and own the role again. What about that guy who played dracula in Blade3: Trinity Declan ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/30 "2009-09-27T23:05:04Z")
I just want to know where they hide their swords half the time. In their trench coat I can buy, but I swear these guys could be caught wearing nothing but a thong, and they’d still pull that sword out from… um… somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/31 "2009-09-27T23:09:52Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Nah, the TV series was okay the first season, really good for the bulk of its run, then horribly, horribly bad the last season. Quite so (although I’d say it was ‘okay’ for the first season and a half, not really getting good until Ritchie became an Immortal). What the hell they were thinking with that last season, I don’t know. Although the last episode (an It’s a Wonderful Life story) wasn’t too bad. Probably because it involved Amanda, Fitz, and Methos, all of whom guarantee a good episode. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/32 "2009-09-28T00:14:15Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Nah, the TV series was okay the first season, really good for the bulk of its run, then horribly, horribly bad the last season. I swear, I think half the episodes that year were intended as backdoor pilots for “Highlander with a chick” spinoffs. Of course, when they finally did the spinoff they decided just to go with Amanda instead. That was exactly what they were doing with the last season, trying out the various women for the spin off. Which was very stupid since they already had Amanda right there. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275/33 "2009-09-28T00:26:23Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I just want to know where they hide their swords half the time. In their trench coat I can buy, but I swear these guys could be caught wearing nothing but a thong, and they’d still pull that sword out from… um… somewhere. [Hammerspace](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Hammerspace). That last movie really blew chunks-Adrian looked good but Peter Wingfield easily looked the decade older that he was after he had…you know what I mean. The Highlander concept probably needs a good 10-20 years of dormancy before it can be brought back in a reasonably fresh state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-to-be-reimagined/511275.md?page=1)