Last year’s “Back To Black” wasn’t the breakout “Industry” actress Marisa Abela expected it to be, but she didn’t need to wait too long to wow American audiences. She stole the show from the rest of the ensemble cast in Steven Soderbergh‘s “Black Bag” earlier this year, besting the likes of Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, among others.
So what’s Abela’s reward for such a dynamic performance? A lead role in Chad Stahelski‘s much-anticipated “Highlander” reboot. THR reports that the actress joins Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe on the project’s cast sheet. Based on the 1986 cult classic, Amazon MGM‘s remake stars Cavill as franchise hero Connor MacLeod, with Crowe as Ramirez. Abela will play an all-new character, however: a fellow immortal and past love of MacLeod’s. That tracks with Stahelski’s plans to build off of the original film’s lore and create a more complex world in his remake.
Shooting for “Highlander” should start in September in Scotland, Hong Kong, and elsewhere. Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt produce the film via United Artists with Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski through his 87Eleven Entertainment banner, Josh Davis of Davis Panzer Productions, and Louise Rosner.
Abela won a BAFTA for her role in “Industry” Season 3, available to stream on HBO. Beyond “Back To Black” and “Black Bag,” she also had a small role in Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie” as Teen Talk Barbie.
Stay tuned for an official release date for “Highlander.” The safe bet is it doesn’t hit theaters until 2027.
