Once upon a time there seemed very little movement in news about the Highlander reboot, but with filming almost ready to start, the casting announcements seem to be arriving fairly quickly. Earlier this week we heard that Djimon Gaston Hounsou was being signed for an unnamed role (speculation suggests a variation on the original’s Kastagir). Now another name has been added to the list.
Max Zhang (aka Zhang Jin) made a significant impact in Pacific Rim Uprising, though he originally came to prominence as a major Eastern movie industry star in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and his career continued to rise with the likes of The Grandmaster, (which won him Best Supporting Actor at the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards), Rise of the Legend, SPL II: A Time for Consequences, Ip Man 3, The Brink. He took the lead in Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy in which Michelle Yeoh, Tony Jaa and his new co-star Dave Bautista also appeared.
In 2023 he received serious injuries while filming and earlier this year there were reports he had to undergo an emergency coronary stent procedure when he fell ill with a suspected heart attack during a vacation. However, he appears to have made a full recovery on both counts. There’s no information on what role Zhang will play – whether it be a variation of an old favourite or an entirely new character. However, given his action credentials there’s every indication he will be playing a very capable immortal.
