HIGHLANDER Lets Russell Crowe Do What GLADIATOR Didn’t

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A new version of the 1980s movie Highlander is officially happening! Henry Cavill will star, and Chad Stahelski, the director behind the John Wick films, is directing. Russell Crowe is also joining the cast, taking on the role originally played by Sean Connery. Crowe has joked that this role will let him finally do something director Ridley Scott told him he couldn’t do in Gladiator.

Russell Crowe jokingly shared the funny story behind Sean Connery’s character during an interview with 60 Minutes Australia.

Russell Crowe explained that Sean Connery, who played the character Ramirez, delivered a fantastic performance with a noticeable Scottish accent. The movie offered a playful explanation for this – Ramirez was said to have previously lived in Egypt! Connery is, of course, well-known for his strong Scottish accent, which he often uses even when playing characters from different backgrounds.

Crowe recalled a conversation he had with director Ridley Scott while preparing for Gladiator. Crowe suggested his character, Maximus—who was originally from Spain, not Rome—should speak with a Spanish accent. He described the accent he envisioned as similar to Antonio Banderas’, but with clearer pronunciation.

Scott reacted strongly, saying, “Absolutely not, you’re not doing that.” He laughed as he explained they ultimately agreed on an accent he jokingly described as sounding like a Royal Shakespeare Company actor after having a couple of pints at lunchtime.

Russell Crowe won the Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator. He’s confident his role in Highlander will be different from previous performances. Director Chad Stahelski is happy with the idea of a Spanish accent. “If you give me Spanish, I’ll use Spanish,” Crowe explained. “So I’m going to play Ramirez as a Spaniard. We’ll see how it goes.”

The cast also includes Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Marisa Abela, Djimon Hounsou, Max Zhang, and WWE’s Drew McIntyre. Filming has been pushed back to 2026 to allow Henry Cavill to recover from an on-set injury. Stay tuned for further news.

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2025-11-05 03:03