2026 is a big year for the Highlander franchise. It marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary fantasy film about an immortal Scottish warrior. It was also meant to mark the release of a reboot starring Henry Cavill, before that film was delayed until 2027. Now, the original vision for the film will be presented for the first time as a graphic novel.
Titled Highlander: The Original Screenplay, the graphic novel will be based on the original screenplay by Gregory Widen. The artwork will be provided by popular Spawn artist Szymon Kudranski. The book will be published by Titan Comics.
Four uncolored pages from Highlander: The Original Screenplay GN may be viewed below.
āI have been a fan ofĀ HighlanderĀ since what feels like the dawn of time,ā noted editor Jonathan Wilkins. āItās a genuine thrill to bring this story back as originally envisaged by the man who created it all, Gregory Widen. For the first time, readers will be able to experience this epic adventure set across the centuries. Itās been a genuine thrill to work with Gregory to discover the various avenues his story explored before filming began.ā
What is different about the original Highlander screenplay?
The original screenplay for Highlander was not as happy as the finished film. This may surprise franchise fans who love the movie for its brutal sword-fighting scenes and grim concept. However, several scenes were cut from Widenās original screenplay to make Connor MacLeod a more sympathetic and heroic character.
Chief among these cuts were a scene in which MacLeod encountered the KurganĀ in 18th century France. Similarly, the original script had Connor leaving his home village freely rather than being banished in a big ceremony. The original script also had a more philosophical tone.
One cut scene would have had Ramirez warning MacLeod that he must live among humanity despite the risks involved. He would warn the Highlander that an Immortal who did not live life to the fullest and love freely would become like the Kurgan ā cold and fixated on conquest and The Prize. This is a major change from the finished film, where Ramirez advised MacLeod to leave his wife.
The most notable change, however, is Connor MacLeod is an outright anti-hero with little sense of nobility. One major theme of the original script was that MacLeod and the Kurgan were two sides of the same coin. Indeed, the Kurgan claims at one point that he is the only real friend MacLeod has ever known in all his years. The movie also ends with MacLeod killing his love interest, Brenda, so as to preserve the secret of the Immortals.
Highlander: The Original Screenplay GN arrives in bookstores on November 17, 2026.
