Ditching green screens, Chad Stahelski opts for authentic landscapes in Henry Cavill’s Highlander set peek
Henry Cavill’s Highlander reboot is ditching backlots for real-world backdrops, as Chad Stahelski steers the immortal warrior saga home to Scotland—and farther-flung stops you’ll want to clock.
Neon- lit streets, a packed rave, swordplay in the rain, and motorcycles knifing through traffic — the latest on-location shoot for Highlander put Henry Cavill right in the thick of Hong Kong night life, complete with recreated storefronts and towering signage. The footage circulating from set has the bruising, practical feel you’d expect from director Chad Stahelski, whose John Wick pedigree is written all over the choreography and camera moves.
Principal photography began January 28, 2026, in Scotland.
The world tour started after a bumpy lead‑up — production faced multiple delays, including a pre‑production training injury to Cavill — then quickly settled into a rhythm. The unit bounced between London and the Scottish Highlands, hitting real locations like Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Skye, Glencoe and Glen Nevis to ground the centuries-spanning story in places you can actually stand.
From there the shoot widened out: filming moved to Poland in May and then to Hong Kong, where fans shared set photos and video on X of Cavill weaving through neon and traditional shopfronts. The international run matches the premise — immortals roaming the globe — and signals a clear preference for streets, castles and valleys over green screens.
Who’s in it
- Henry Cavill — Connor MacLeod
- Russell Crowe — Ramirez
- Dave Bautista — the Kurgan
- Karen Gillan
- Marisa Abela
- Djimon Hounsou
- Drew McIntyre
- Max Zhang
- Jeremy Irons
What it adapts
Stahelski’s film is a reboot and reimagining of the 1986 original, keeping the core mythology of Immortals battling toward the Gathering and the mysterious Prize. Cavill’s Connor MacLeod — a Scottish warrior who can’t die — is once again drawn into conflict with other Immortals, including the brutal Kurgan, and the creative team has indicated the new movie can pull from the wider Highlander canon beyond the first film.
Behind the camera, Stahelski directs from a screenplay by Kerry Williamson and Mike Finch, with longtime collaborator Dan Laustsen shooting and Tyler Bates composing the score. Amazon MGM Studios is backing the project, with a 2027 release expected.