Highlander
There can be only one.
Country
Production
Budget
$16 000 000
Revenue
$6 014 867
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Peter S. Davis, William N. Panzer, E.C. Monell
Operator
Gerry Fisher
Composer
Artist
Allan Cameron, Mark Raggett
Audition
Michael McLean, Diane Dimeo
Editing
Peter Honess
All team (81)
All team (81)
Short description
Connor MacLeod is a Scottish warrior who survives a fatal wound in a battle in 1536 and is banished from his clan. A Spanish nobleman named Ramirez teaches him swordsmanship and explains that they belong to a race of immortals, beings who can only be killed by beheading. Connor learns that those who take another immortal's head gain that immortal's strength and knowledge, and that the survivors will eventually meet for a final confrontation. Centuries later, Connor lives in 1986 New York City, where he faces his oldest enemy, the savage Kurgan, as the immortals gather for their last battles.
Russell Mulcahy directed the film, his second feature after Razorback in 1984 and before the sequel Highlander II: The Quickening in 1991. Christophe Lambert stars as Connor, with Clancy Brown as Kurgan, Sean Connery as Ramirez, Roxanne Hart as Brenda J. Wyatt, Beatie Edney as Heather MacLeod and Alan North as Lieutenant Frank Moran. Larry Ferguson, Gregory Widen and Peter Bellwood wrote the screenplay, which mixes present-day action with flashbacks to earlier centuries. The film's 19 million dollar budget was not recouped at the worldwide box office, which reached about 13 million dollars. Ratings sit at 7 out of 10 on IMDb and 6.9 out of 10 on TMDB, while film critics gave it 6.2 out of 10.
What's left behind the scenes
- Adrian Paul played the main role in the series; his character, Duncan MacLeod, was Connor's younger brother. Christopher Lambert appeared in the series only as a guest star.
- Clancy Brown almost refused the role of the Kurgan, citing his allergy to makeup would prevent him from wearing a special mask during filming.
- Almost all of the film's scenes set in New York were actually filmed in London. In particular, the fight scene between the Kurgan and Castagir was filmed in an alleyway scheduled for demolition in a few months. An explosion was also set there, which was so loud that police from eight districts arrived on the scene.
- The European version of the film includes retrospective footage of events during World War II, when MacLeod saves Rachel, then a little girl. These episodes were cut from the American version of the film.
- When Brenda compares signatures on various birth certificates of MacLeod, we see Connor MacLeod's previous aliases on the computer screen: Adrien Montagu, Jacques Lefebert, Alfred Nicholson, and Rupert Wallingford.
- Among the many antique items in MacLeod's storage, one can notice Ramirez's hat and waistcoat.
- A scene where the Kurgan fights the immortal Yun Dol Kim was cut from the film.
- A short excerpt from the song “New York, New York” was performed by Queen specifically for the film and is not included on any of the band’s albums.
- In 2000, an opera based on the famous adventures of the immortal Highlander was released on CD in the USA. The authors of the opera were Roger Bellon and Harlan Collings.
- The church scene featuring The Kurgan (Clancy Brown) was filmed at night under the supervision of priests. Brown's impromptu lines were so blasphemous that the priests standing off-camera made the sign of the cross upon hearing them.
- The author was paid $200,000 for the original screenplay about immortal warriors.
- Initially, the role of Connor MacLeod was offered to popular actor Mickey Rourke at the time, but he was dissatisfied with the fee for the relatively low-budget film.
- The film's director, Australian music video director Russell Mulcahy, was personally acquainted with the members of Queen. They were interested in the plot and promised to record the soundtrack for the film.
- Of all the actors who starred in the film 'Highlander', only Sean Connery had star status. His participation in the shooting, which lasted several weeks, cost the filmmakers almost $10 million.
- The film was shot almost entirely in the United Kingdom: Connor MacLeod's past was filmed in Scotland, and scenes from the present were filmed in London.
- The scenes of Ramirez and Connor MacLeod's training were filmed without stunt doubles; the katana and claymore swords were real, not props.
- Christopher Lambert's character, antique dealer Russell Nash, drove a 'Porsche 356 Speedster'.
- If you recall the film, Brenda, as a sword expert, primarily wanted to see the katana used to behead Aman Fazil. In footage that was shot but did not make the final cut, Connor provided her with that opportunity.
- At the “London Film and Comic Con 2011” festival, held from July 8th to 10th, 2011, Christopher Lambert was invited to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of the legendary “Highlander,” and anyone could get a photo and autograph from Connor MacLeod himself. Actress Betty Edney – Connor Heather’s beloved wife – was also present at the event.
- The following actors auditioned for the role of Connor MacLeod: Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson, Patrick Swayze, William Hurt, Peter Weller, Sam Elliott Shepard, David Keith, Ed Harris, Sting, Kurt Russell, Mark Singer, Mickey Rourke.
- The following actors auditioned for the role of The Kurgan: Scott Glenn, Roy Scheider, Rutger Hauer, Nick Nolte.
- The following actors auditioned for the role of Ramirez: Lee Van Cleef, Gene Hackman, Peter O'Toole, Michael Caine, Clint Eastwood, Malcolm McDowell.
- Linda Hamilton, Sigourney Weaver, Glenn Close, Linda Fiorentino, Sean Young, Diane Lane, and Demi Moore auditioned for the role of Brenda Wyatt.
- Katharine Mary Stewart and Virginia Madsen auditioned for the role of Heather (she would later appear in the second film).
- In the scene where MacLeod beheads Kurgan, the director wanted to animate the dragon on Kurgan's helmet. The dragon was supposed to attack MacLeod again, and only after defeating the Ghost Dragon would MacLeod receive his reward. This idea was ultimately rejected due to the film's budget constraints.
- Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery had a wonderful relationship during filming and referred to each other by their characters' names even off set. It was at Lambert's insistence that the producers brought Connery's character back for the second film.
- The castle where MacLeod lived is the same one featured in the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975).
- Connor MacLeod says the phrase "There's a kind of magic" in the film. "A Kind of Magic" is the name of a Queen album, songs from which were included in the film's soundtrack. A Vietnam War veteran attempting to shoot Kurgan listens to Queen's "Hammer to Fall" in his car.
- When Christopher Lambert began filming this movie, he still spoke English poorly; the only English-language film he had previously appeared in was "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984). And even there, he spoke only a few words in English.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
