Chad Stalhelski, the erstwhile stunt coordinator-turned-director who transformed “John Wick” from a potential direct-to-video action movie into one of the most inventive, visually ravishing franchises in modern cinema, was ready for a change.
He had made four films in the Keanu Reeves-starring series, with the fourth film grossing almost $450 million worldwide. More importantly, he had created an entirely new universe for Lionsgate and producers Thunder Road that now included streaming series, big screen spinoffs and an upcoming animated prequel. Stahelski would still oversee these projects, but he hankered for something different. He wanted to reinvent a classic from his childhood, the 1986 fantasy film “Highlander,” in a way that only he could – his version would be bold, brutal and 100% his.
Stahelski first started working on a new “Highlander” movie in 2016, but as it finally seemed primed to go into production, TheWrap learned last month that Stahelski’s “Highlander” would move from Lionsgate to Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists and producer Scott Stuber. It was something of a shock. The “John Wick” franchise had brought in more than $1 billion worldwide for Lionsgate, which is a feather in its cap, especially considering its recent box office hardships (one of its big bets for 2025 is “Ballerina,” a movie clunkily described as “From the World of John Wick”). Why would the studio let Stahelski go?
The budget for “Highlander” was, well, high, with Stahelski wanting $180 million and Lionsgate attempting to cap the budget at $165 million, according to two Lionsgate insiders who asked not to be identified. Lionsgate execs internally worried that “Highlander” is a one-quadrant movie, catering to Gen X males who remembered the original movie (and the sequels and syndicated TV series that followed), one of the studio insiders told TheWrap.
Lionsgate, too, had just made a movie with Stahelski’s “Highlander” star Henry Cavill and was feeling slightly uneasy. Last year’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” a high octane historical action movie starring Cavill, directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by the legendary Jerry Bruckheimer, cost $60 million to produce and only made $20 million domestically and another $6 million overseas. Lionsgate’s “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” came on the heels of Apple Films’ would-be franchise starter “Argylle,” another Cavill film, which was released theatrically by Universal and brought in $96 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of more than $200 million.
Lionsgate was spooked by the actor’s recent box office run, a studio insider said. They feared that “Highlander” would be the third costly underperformer starring Cavill, and coming off a dismal 2024 at the box office, the studio couldn’t afford another high-profile bomb. Its recent greenlights have been far more safe and cost-effective, like another “Hunger Games” movie and an additional “Now You See Me” sequel.
A spokesperson for Lionsgate did not respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.
But Lionsgate’s perceived loss could be Amazon MGM Studios’ gain, as the studio has recently amassed a portfolio full of projects based on long-dormant 1980s IP including “Masters of the Universe” and “Voltron,” enacting a strategy that could play directly to Gen Xers who regularly frequent Prime Video’s “dad TV” action shows like “Reacher” and “Jack Ryan.” “Highlander,” with its soundtrack full of jaunty Queen tunes (which Stahelski told TheWrap he intends to reuse), fits right in.
“Amazon MGM is establishing themselves as the kind of studio similar to what Warner Bros. was in the ’90s and the 2000s,” producer Adrian Askarieh, of the “Hitman” franchise and “The Last Bear,” told TheWrap. “They have put together an eclectic slate of original and IP-based big-budget and mid-budget movies; many of them driven by movie stars. Their presentation at April’s CinemaCon effectively emphasized this strategy. I think it’s exciting for the business and the creative community as a whole.”
That CinemaCon slate, which Amazon MGM Studios intends to fulfill a promise of releasing at least 14 films in theaters next year, includes sci-fi comedies like the Ryan Gosling-fronted “Project Hail Mary,” a heist film starring Chris Hemsworth called “Crime 101” and awards bait like Luca Guadagnino’s drama “After the Hunt.” This ’80s IP push, it would appear, aims to fill the “blockbuster” slot on their slate for years to come.
But considering that several high-profile titles with ties to 1980s IP have faltered in recent years, is Amazon’s strategy inspired or deeply misguided?
“Highlander,” at the very least, is in good company.
I Love the ’80s
“Highlander” joins “Voltron,” an animated series about a giant robot that aired on American television beginning in 1984 and was cobbled together from several unrelated Japanese projects. (The first season, for instance, was adapted from “Beast King GoLion,” which had aired years before in Japan.) This new live-action movie, written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, a filmmaker mostly known for his comedies before transitioning to more straightforward action movies like the Dwayne Johnson-led “Skyscraper,” features a starry cast that includes Sterling K. Brown, Rita Ora and, yes, Henry Cavill and is led by newcomer Daniel Quinn-Toye.
While no release date for “Voltron” has been set, principal photography, which began in December 2024, wrapped recently in Australia. Despite Amazon’s commitment to theatrical exhibition, “Voltron” is going straight to their Prime Video streaming service. “Road House,” another resurrection of a cult 1980s IP, debuted exclusively on Prime Video and was a huge hit, with a sequel, directed by Ritchie, currently in the works.
There’s also “Masters of the Universe,” based on the animated series and, perhaps most importantly, bestselling toy line created by Mattel in 1981. The concept combined aspects of both “Star Wars” and “Conan the Barbarian,” with a lore-heavy focus on kid-appropriate fantasy violence and otherworldly creatures. The animated series, “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” debuted in 1983 and ran until 1985 and is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential animated series of that decade. A spinoff, “She-Ra: Princess of Power,” debuted in 1985, meant to direct the popularity of the mainline franchise at young girls, complete with its toy line.
This live-action film is directed by Laika CEO and lead animator Travis Knight, who also made the ’80s-skewing “Transformers” stand alone film “Bumblebee,” and was written by his frequent collaborator Chris Butler. Like “Voltron,” its lead Nicholas Galitzine, is a lesser-known newcomer, but he is surrounded by a cast that includes Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Idris Elba and Morena Baccarin. Galitzine also plays to the Prime Video audience — he was the romantic lead in the streamer’s romantic dramas “The Idea of You,” opposite Anne Hathaway, and “Red, White & Royal Blue.”
The last time a live-action version of the He-Man property was mounted, it was 1987. The animated series had just concluded and Mattel was eager for an injection of fresh blood into the franchise to sell more toys. Dolph Lundgren starred as He-Man and the movie was produced by another ’80s icon – Cannon Pictures, then in the throes of bankruptcy. “Masters of the Universe” was a financial disaster, making less than its production budget and failing to reignite waning toy sales.
But the specter of disappointment is much closer than 1987’s “Masters of the Universe,” as several recent movies have failed to recapture the Reagan-era magic.
’80s IP at the box office
The resurrection of beloved 1980s IP is a tricky gambit. And recently, the waters have been even choppier.
Last year, Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa,” an extension of the “Mad Max” saga that began with George Miller’s original in 1979, made $174.3 million worldwide on a budget of $168 million (and that’s before marketing and other associated costs). “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” from Sony, failed to eclipse the $200 million worldwide mark, and with a budget of $100 million, it’s unclear if the franchise that began with 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” will continue in its current form. (An animated feature has been announced for Netflix.) And last year’s “Transformers One,” the first fully animated feature in the franchise since 1986’s clunkily titled “The Transformers: The Movie,” made $129 million on a budget of more than $75 million. Again: Paramount’s plan for future movies, which it touted in the lead-up to the film’s release, remains murky.
Two legacy sequels to beloved 1980s Eddie Murphy properties from Paramount Pictures – 2021’s “Coming 2 America” and 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” went direct-to-streaming (Prime Video and Netflix, respectfully), despite their huge commercial potential.
There are still hits to be mined, for sure, they just seem fewer and further between.
“Top Gun: Maverick” from 2022 remains the high water mark, both artistically and commercially, for this kind of enterprise. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring a returning Tom Cruise, it made $1.49 billion globally and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
And last year’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was an unexpected hit for Warner Bros., bringing in more than $450 million worldwide, giving the studio the confidence to not only develop a third film but to also fast-track new entries to two of the studio’s biggest legacy titles – “The Goonies” and “Gremlins,” both produced by Steven Spielberg and his Amblin shingle.
And Sony’s “Karate Kid: Legends,” which seems to combine the timelines from its original movies (that began with 1984’s “The Karate Kid”) and the remake (2010’s “The Karate Kid”), bolstered by the streaming series “Cobra Kai,” opens later this month. Current estimates suggest it could pull in $35 – $45 million opening weekend.
Amazon’s Gen X audience
But what fate will befall “Highlander?”
When the original film was released in 1986, it wasn’t even a hit – it made less than its reported $19 million budget. But it was well-liked enough and was a huge hit on home video, so much so that a sequel, “Highlander II: The Quickening,” was released in 1991. (Roger Ebert infamously asserted that the sequel was “the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I’ve seen in many a long day – a movie almost awesome in its badness.”) There was a third film and another that combined the narrative of the original film and the syndicated TV series, plus an anime movie in 2007.
The original “Highlander” is beloved by Gen Xers, with clips constantly being shared on social media of the movie’s clever transitions and its general stylish dexterity, with its reputation firmly shifting in recent years from “cult classic” into bona-fide classic status. And it’s that exact audience that Amazon MGM Studios hopes turns out for their take on the film.
Mining nostalgia
Maybe “Highlander” makes the most sense at Amazon because it serves as a natural extension of their “white guys with guns” strategy that has made their streaming service appeal to a specific demographic – hit series like “Reacher,” “Bosch” and “Jack Ryan” follow a lone, crusading figure as he strikes back against perceived wrongs.
In an odd way, these titles even tap into the same vein of mined nostalgia, as the Jack Ryan character was introduced by author Tom Clancy in the 1984 novel “The Hunt for Red October,” which was turned into a successful feature by John McTiernan a few years later. And while Jack Reacher was introduced more than a decade later, in Lee Child’s inaugural novel “Killing Floor,” published in 1997, it still harkens back to an earlier era of masculinity (and its accompanying get-s–t-done-at-any-cost attitudes).
There was also “Bosch,” which was based on a character created by novelist Michael Connelly in 1992’s “The Black Echo.” “Bosch,” which ran for seven seasons between 2014 and 2021, inspired a spinoff series, “Bosch: Legacy,” which just wrapped up.
If you want to know how Amazon is transitioning its small screen tactics to big screen theatrics, a “Jack Ryan” movie was shot earlier this year in London, with John Krasinski reprising his role from the series that just concluded in 2023.
The stage is set for “Highlander” to try to capture the attention of those who remember the original franchise, those who are enamored of Amazon’s small screen efforts and those who want to watch Henry Cavill swing a really big sword. There can be only one, after all.