The Scriptening, Part III

[Tootsie Bee]

Here's Brad Mirman's early draft of the third film. Discuss.

http://movie-scripts.net/H/Highlander_3.pdf

[Tootsie Bee]

http://www.screenwritersutopia.com/article/d14f08f0

Q: You wrote the third sequel to "Highlander". How much research did you do on the other sequels to write the third? How did you know what would drive the characters? Did you collaborate with the other writers?

A: I had seen the original Highlander many times. In 1990 I was hired to do a rewrite on a screenplay that Christopher Lambert was attached. The film was never made, but Christopher and I became great friends. After the disappointment of Highlander II, Christopher felt horrible. When he was approached by the producers to do Highlander III he asked me if I would write the first draft as a favor. Since he and I are such good friends it wasn't that difficult to write the character because there is a lot of Christopher in the character of MacLeod. When I wrote the first draft I was living in Buenos Aires and I sent it to them. After that I didn't have any other involvement in the project. I know there were other writers after I sent in the first draft. I still don't know what changes they made to the script as I have never seen the movie.

[Aleander]

Its a superior draft in terms of characterization and even plotting, but the basic conceit is still fairly idiotic. Plus, it misses the Scotland bits, which were the best part (in present day, at least).

Still, it had Thomas Cavanaugh in it. A character so great, he was referenced in the comics despite never really having been referenced in any live-action media!