Highlander reboot adds Djimon Hounsou and Henry Cavill

Djimon Hounsou has joined the cast of the Highlander reboot, industry reports said, adding another high-profile name to a production led by Henry Cavill and directed by John Wick alumnus Chad Stahelski. The Amazon MGM Studios United Artists production is expected to shoot in the United Kingdom and abroad, with principal photography reported to begin imminently; accounts varied, with some sources saying the end of September and others saying later this month.

Cavill will play Connor MacLeod, the Medieval Scottish highlander who discovers he is an immortal warrior, while Russell Crowe is set to portray Ramirez, the mentor swordsman. Hounsou will play an immortal warrior from Africa, according to casting reports. The ensemble also includes Dave Bautista as the film's principal villain, The Kurgan, Karen Gillan as MacLeod's mortal first wife Heather, and Marisa Abela as a modern-day romantic interest. Michael Finch is credited as screenwriter, and producers on the project are reported to include Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt, Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski's 87Eleven Entertainment, Josh Davis and Louise Rosner.

Stahelski has signaled a broadening of the original film's scope, saying the...