When it comes to "Highlander" stars, there can only be one. Now, however, there are none, as TheWrap has learned that Ryan Reynolds has exited Summit Entertainment's upcoming reboot, leaving producers Neal Moritz and Peter Davis back at square one.
Summit has been developing "Highlander" for several years, with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ("28 Weeks Later") most recently attached to direct. After a year of working on the project, Fresnadillo had a different vision in mind than Summit and they amicably parted ways in November 2012.
Summit vowed to move quickly in finding Fresnadillo's replacement but still hasn't brought another filmmaker onboard, leaving Reynolds in limbo. An individual familiar with "Highlander" tells TheWrap that Reynolds' exit may actually prove beneficial for the project, as a new director will be able to cast a new leading man rather than inherit a previous filmmaker's decision.
Reynolds was attached to play Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman forced to confront the Kurgan, a brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize." Christopher Lambert starred in the original along with Clancy Brown and Sean Connert.
Art Marcum and Matt Holloway wrote the "Highlander" reboot, while Noah Oppenheim penned the most recent draft. Melissa Rosenberg also took a stab at the script in 2011.
Justin Lin was originally attached to direct in September 2009, though he exited the project in August 2011 to focus on "Fast and Furious 6."
Reynolds certainly won't be hurting for work, as he'll soon begin filming Tarsem Singh's thriller "Selfless," which FilmDistrict will release on Sept. 26, 2014. He also stars opposite Jeff Bridges in Universal's "R.I.P.D" and voices the title character in "Turbo," which DreamWorks Animation opens July 17.
Reynolds recently wrapped Atom Egoyan's kidnapping thriller "Queen of the Night" and Marjane Satrapi's psychological thriller "The Voices." He's repped by CAA and attorney David Weber.
