John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski has had a Highlander reboot in the works for years.

Christopher Lambert's 1986 original followed an immortal Scottish swordsman from his 16th century origins to the present day.

Now the film has been green-lit with Henry Cavill in the starring role, and it turns out his Superman dad, Russell Crowe, is joining the cast.

The Aussie actor first met Cavill aged 16 in 2000 at his British public school, Stowe, where Crowe was shooting Proof of Life. He shared acting tips with the future star and later sent him a package.

According to Variety, the Oscar-winner will play a variation of Sean Connery's role from the 80s classic. The late James Bond star portrayed an Egyptian immortal (with a thick Scottish accent) who mentors the Highlander in the ways of the immortals.

Filming on the Highlander remake is set to take place later this year and Stahelski has confirmed that the Queen music used in the original will feature. The band's 1986 album A King of Magic was an unofficial soundtrack for the classic film, with six out of nine of the songs featured in the movie. The director previously told Collider of the plot: "We're bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the Highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong. There's big opportunity for action... and it's a bit of a love story - but not how you think."