Highlander: The Source
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| 'Highlander: The Source' | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Brett Leonard |
| Produced by | Adrian Paul Peter S. Davis William N. Panzer |
| Written by | Gregory Widen (characters created by) David Abramowitz Stephen Kelvin Watkins |
| Starring | Adrian Paul |
| Music by | George Kallis |
| Cinematography | Steve Arnold Dmitrij Gribanov |
| Editing by | Les Healey |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate Films |
| Release date(s) | To Be Announced 2007 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Highlander: Endgame |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Highlander: The Source is the fifth installment of the Highlander film series, with Adrian Paul returning as Duncan MacLeod from the television series and the fourth film, Highlander: Endgame. Highlander: The Source is completed and awaiting release.
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[edit] Premise
Immortals quest to locate the Holy Grail of their world, unlocking the secrets of immortality within "The Source" while a near-future world is on the verge of collapse.[1]
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Adrian Paul | Duncan MacLeod |
| Peter Wingfield | Methos |
| Jim Byrnes | Joe Dawson |
| Thekla Reuten | Anna Teshemka |
| Cristian Solimeno | The Guardian |
| Thom Fell | Cardinal Giovanni |
| Stephen Rahman Hughes | Zai Jie |
| Stephen Wight | Reggie Weller |
[edit] Production
In July 2005, Lions Gate acquired the rights to film what was then-called Highlander: The Journey Continues with director Brett Leonard at the helm and actor Adrian Paul in the lead role as Duncan MacLeod. Lions Gate planned to release the film by 2006.[2] The following August, the film's title was changed back to Highlander: The Source (which it had been at Dimension Films under at least a couple of different screenwriters including Joel Soisson and Peter Briggs), with production scheduled to begin in Lithuania in the coming October. Leonard described the franchise: "Highlander is an amazing ongoing story that I can bring my visual style to. Everything I have done has led me to this kind of mythical fantasy."[3] Filming began in October 2005[4] and concluded the following December. The film was slated for a 2006 release[1] originally -- current release dates suggested February 2007 (Panzer-Davis auctions directly state, as well as actress Thekla Reuten's own website) as well as March 2007 (composer George Kallis' website states) and finally a more broad "First Quarter 2007" on more recent Panzer-Davis "The Source" auctions.
In June 2006, Adrian Paul revealed that Highlander: The Source had been undergoing editing and visual effects work. The actor said that composer George Kallis, had been brought on board to create a film score that was recorded by an 80-piece orchestra.[5]
As of February 14, 2007, Peter Davis and Bill Panzer of Davis/Panzer Productions, the producers, in conjunction with Lionsgate Entertainment, are presently editing and remixing the film. This final cut will be delivered to Lionsgate on or about March 15, 2007. Lionsgate will be releasing the film in September, 2007.[6]
[edit] Characters
Anna Teshemka: Duncan MacLeod's mortal wife thrown into the world of Immortals when she met and fell for him. Radiantly beautiful, strong and passionate, she also has a softness and compassion for those less fortunate. Beyond the shock of his Immortality, there was another obstacle: Immortals can’t have children. Anna was disappointed but decided that he was the man she loved and that she could live with that. But later things changed. Something that she couldn’t explain was pulling her away from him, ultimately causing her to leave... and with her went MacLeod’s reason for living.
The Guardian: From a time before recorded history, the Guardian belongs to a civilization that has passed into legend. Ancient and unearthly, his ominous outfit and superhuman speed strike fear into his victims’ hearts. His demonic voice is matched by his black boots with strange cloven-hoof toes and gloves that taper at the fingers like talons. Amazingly agile and ferocious, he’s seemingly invincible. Like a gladiator from the Roman Empire, he wears a single sleeve arm guard studded with brass. Black leather pants of the same design. A leather helmet. But the devil is in the details: black boots with strange cloven-hoof toes. A horned design on a thick leather belt. A black cowl that juts out like a blade. He stalks the Immortals along their journey. Testing them to see which, if any, will be worthy of the ultimate prize (it remains unclear if this is the same Prize all Immortals are taught to seek).
Methos: At 5,000+ years old, the oldest living known Immortal, Methos is an enigma. A low-key, soft-spoken man, he now rides a motorcycle and kills his opponents with stunning skill. He was originally one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, "Death." This band of bronze age warriors terrorized the world, slaughtering everything in their path. But Methos grew sick and weary of the bloodshed and left to forge his own destiny. His friendship with MacLeod is an uneasy one because he hasn’t survived so long without taking care of number one. He’s part of Giovanni’s group trying to find the Source but, as always, his motives aren’t clear. But this is the quest that will test his beliefs and his survival skills to the limit.
Cardinal Giovanni: A Cardinal and the leader of the group. Initially he gloried in his Immortality, amassing a fortune and wallowing in excess. But then his resurrection began to weigh on his mind. Perhaps he was being given a chance to redeem himself for the crucifixion. He decided to turn to the God he had once scorned. As the centuries went on he became fanatical about his religion. He rose in power and stature, and began to believe that God had chosen him to be His messenger. And as he learned about the legend of the Source, he became convinced that it is a gift from God: the power to bring salvation to mankind. Now a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, he has enlisted a group of Immortals to help him find the Source. Dressed in sumptuous scarlet robes and corrupted by vanity, his Christian manner hides a ruthless core. He feels he is doing God’s work and he will accept casualties along the way. He doesn't get along with Methos, and at one point has an altercation with him, who confronts him with, "I saw Christ teach. I saw Christ eat. I saw Christ heal. And you, you son of a bitch, are not a true Christian."
Reggie Weller: A vodka-guzzling astronomer, yet also a scientific genius that had looked to the stars for an answer to why he was spared death and pain like those around him. Eventually he was recruited by Cardinal Giovanni to search for the Source. Reggie is skeptical but everything else has been a blind alley. The Immortal Game has never interested Reggie, although he is quick to anger when he sees someone being unjustly treated. At the start of their adventure, he’s seeing the stars align in a way they haven’t for hundreds of years -- long before he was born. This overcomes his skepticism about the Source and motivates him to join the quest. A cheeky cockney who grew up in the slums of East London, Reggie uses humor and bluster as survival skills. People see the young man in the high-top sneakers, the Rebel Division sweatshirt and the ripped jeans and they underestimate him. In fact, Reggie’s a scientific genius whose astronomical wizardry is crucial in the search for the Source.
The Elder: The Elder is a hideous figure -- his blue skin hangs in loose folds like blankets -- and he explains how long ago he found the Source and fought the Guardian. He was defeated and punished with a fate far worse than death. He cannot die but his body continues to age, withering away and turning him into an abomination.
[edit] Storyline
This storyline is taken from the Russian DVD cut of Highlander: The Source.
10-15 years after the death of Connor MacLeod in Highlander: Endgame, the world is falling into chaos. As he roams a crumbling city somewhere in Eastern Europe, Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander, rescues a woman from her assailants. She reminds him of Anna, his wife, who has left him.
Across town an Immortal named Zai is breaking in to the central comm tower for the Eastern European block. He accesses an online video conference with Methos, Reggie and Giovanni, all immortals trying to find the Source, a story whispered among Immortals of their place of origin. Zai is intercepted by the Guardian, the Source's protector and killed - but not before he tells the other immortals to seek the monastery of the Elder.
MacLeod investigates Zai's quickening and is nearly killed by the Guardian, who says MacLeod has "pissed away" his gift of Immortality. MacLeod is rescued by Joe Dawson, last of the Watchers, a now-disbanded group of mortals who observe and chronicle the Immortals living among them who no longer function. In spite of Duncan's lost faith he keeps close tabs on the Highlander because he firmly believed, even still, that if there can be only one it would be MacLeod.
Driving away in a truck, Joe takes him to the monastery of the Elder where MacLeod meets Methos, Reggie and Giovanni. Anna appears - attempting to break into the monastery. The Elder senses something about Anna, her connection to the Source, and the group is admitted to the monastery. As the Elder's ancient finger caresses her cheek, she has a vision - a constellation of stars rising over her.
Outside the monastery, Reggie is attacked and Dawson is dealt a fatal blow by the Guardian - who uses MacLeod's broken katana. Before Joe slips away, MacLeod scolds the dying Watcher, "You weren't supposed to get involved!"
After burying Dawson the five heroes continue the quest on a boat, following the stars. After reaching land and an altercation with cannibals they stop for the night in a house. The Guardian appears in the night and kills Reggie - without taking his head. The four immortals are now mortal due to their proximity to the Source - and Reggie is dead.
The group encounter the cannibals again and are overpowered. The Guardian frees Anna to take to the Source while Giovanni is released by chance and abandons the group, kneeling before the Guardian and being beheaded. Finally, of the group of Immortals only MacLeod and Methos are left. Methos distracts the cannibals, allowing Duncan to reach Anna just as a column of energy surges around her, climbing up into space to the constellation of stars. MacLeod runs to her but the Guardian blocks his path.
MacLeod must defeat the Guardian to be the One who will enter the Source with Anna. Dual-wielding two butterfly swords MacLeod manages to defeat the Guardian, but refuses to take his head. He joins Anna in the Source and it is suggested she is pregnant with Duncan's child.
[edit] Release
The film was released on DVD in February 2007 in Russia. Producer Peter Davis subsequently stated that this cut was not the final version, and that Lionsgate will release the finished film in September 2007. [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Filming Wraps on Highlander: The Source", ComingSoon.net, 2005-12-18. Retrieved on January 13, 2007.
- ^ Paul Davidson. "How Many Highlanders Can There Be?", IGN, 2005-07-05. Retrieved on January 13, 2007.
- ^ Paul Davidson. "Highlander: Going to the Source", IGN, 2005-08-04. Retrieved on January 13, 2007.
- ^ Paul Davidson. "New Highlander Starts Shooting", IGN, 2005-10-21. Retrieved on January 13, 2007.
- ^ Adrian Paul. "Scoring The Source", AdrianPaul.net, 2006-06-29. Retrieved on January 13, 2007.
- ^ Highlander Fan. "Production of The Source", highlander-thesource.com, 2007-02-14. Retrieved on February 14, 2007.
[edit] External links
- The Official Website
- OhmyNews Film Review
- Highlander: The Source at the Internet Movie Database
- Highlander: The Source at All Movie Guide
- The Official Highlander Message Board
