Cody
The What Happened to This Horror Movie episode on Highlander III: The Final Dimension was written by Jaime Vasquez:
Highlander III arrived at a strange moment for the franchise. Highlander itself was drifting steadily toward television as the series gained momentum, while Highlander II: The Quickening had confused fans and critics alike, fracturing the timeline and ignoring the original film’s rules. At that point, no one could quite agree on what Highlander even was anymore.
With the original creative team not returning, the franchise took a bold swing at recapturing the magic while quietly ignoring the events of its predecessor. Years before “reboot sequels” became one of Hollywood’s favorite tricks, Highlander III was already attempting a return to its original formula of immortal enemies, lost loves, and flashbacks stretching back centuries. Behind the scenes, however, the production story was a kind of chaos the cast and crew probably didn’t want to revisit in any timeline.
So how was the sequel received after critics and fans tore apart Part II? What caused Christopher Lambert to walk off set? And what band refused to do the soundtrack after allegedly clashing with one of the actors? It’s time to pick up the sword again, do a little retconning, and go back to basics as we find out what happened to Highlander III: The Final Dimension.
Development and Early Concepts
Davis-Panzer Productions producers Brad Mirman and William Panzer penned the story for Highlander III, with Panzer also co-writing the script. Paul Ohl was brought in to turn the idea into a full screenplay. He would later write another Christopher Lambert film, 1996’s North Star, co-starring James Caan. Uncredited contributions also came from René Manzor and Mirman himself.
Manzor is best known for writing and directing the 1989 Christmas slasher Deadly Games, which is essentially the original French version of Home Alone, only far less slapstick and definitely not family-friendly.
By the mid-’90s, UK director Andrew Morahan was primarily known for directing music videos for artists like Van Halen, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, and Guns N’ Roses. His résumé closely mirrored that of Russell Mulcahy, the director of the original Highlander, who also came from the MTV-era music video world. Since Highlander III leaned heavily into a “back to the original” approach, Morahan was a natural fit.
Script Changes and Abandoned Ideas
Early drafts of the script took the story in several directions, most of them echoing the greatest hits of the original film. The central villain was initially named Kilvera, an illusion-casting immortal MacLeod would battle across centuries; essentially The Kurgan with a new name and a slightly different evil grin. In the final film, Kilvera became Kane, but the energy remained the same: centuries-spanning hatred and an inevitable sword fight.
At one point, the script went fully off the rails by introducing Jack the Ripper as an immortal antagonist. Because of course someone decided that a historical serial killer needed to be immortal.
Rachel Ellenstein, MacLeod’s adopted daughter from the first film, now visibly older than her immortal father, was originally set to return. Detective Walter Bedsoe, one of the cops investigating all the suspicious sword-related beheadings in the original Highlander, was also nearly brought back. Both characters were ultimately dropped during rewrites.
Some darker story elements didn’t survive either, including a sequence where MacLeod buries his 16th-century wife Heather. Another concept, The Gathering, a massive final battle among immortals, was removed from Highlander III, though it had already been introduced successfully in the Highlander TV series pilot two years earlier.
Characters, Cast, and Creative Tension
The script originally featured more flashbacks bouncing between 17th-century Scotland and 18th-century England. Sean Connery’s Ramirez, who somehow survived the original film, died in the sequel, and was resurrected because the script basically willed it into existence, was at least acknowledged through MacLeod’s continued use of his sword.
A new immortal mentor, Thomas Cavanagh, was also introduced to fill the Ramirez-shaped hole. While Cavanagh never appeared in a Highlander movie, he later showed up in the comic books, still acting as MacLeod’s mentor.
Christopher Lambert returned as Connor MacLeod, also known as Russell Nash. This time, Lambert had significantly more influence over the story, pushing for changes to the script and more dialogue for his character. Director Andrew Morahan pushed back, arguing that too much dialogue would diminish MacLeod’s mystique. Judging by the final cut, that mystique remained fully intact. MacLeod still speaks like he’s worried someone from another century might overhear him.
Lambert personally suggested Mario Van Peebles for the role of Kane after working with him on Gunmen. Van Peebles stepped easily into the role, delivering maximum scenery-chewing energy. However, the production wasn’t without friction. Guns N’ Roses reportedly declined to do the soundtrack, with rumors pointing to a clash involving Van Peebles, though no official explanation was ever confirmed.
On-Set Chaos and Production Issues
Deborah Kara Unger played dual roles as Dr. Alexandra Johnson in the present day and Sarah Barrington, one of MacLeod’s many lost loves from the past. Unger chose to perform her intimate scenes with Lambert herself rather than use a body double, after discussing boundaries and comfort levels with him beforehand.
Lambert also insisted on performing many of his own action scenes, despite being nearsighted and not wearing his glasses while filming. This meant many sword fights were performed with limited vision, which is not ideal when swinging weapons valued at roughly $125,000 in the early ’90s.
One sword-training scene had to be completely reshot after sand damaged the camera. Lambert also temporarily walked off set due to a salary dispute before returning once the issue was resolved. Given that he was contractually obligated to finish the film, court likely felt like a worse fate than finishing production.
By this point, Lambert wielded significant control over the franchise. Some of Kane and MacLeod’s more brutal physical exchanges – headbutts, punches, and elbows – were reportedly improvised. Morahan described it as a competitive but mostly healthy dynamic.
Not all interactions were so harmless. During filming in Montreal, two local extras were allegedly overheard plotting to kidnap Mario Van Peebles using a makeup RV. The plan went nowhere, and their scene was cut entirely.
Release, Box Office, and Legacy
Highlander III premiered in the U.S. in January 1995, following earlier releases in the UK and the Philippines in late 1994. Box office numbers remain murky. Most estimates put the budget at around $26 million, with a worldwide gross between $13 and $14 million. Other figures float closer to $36 million, possibly including home video revenue. Either way, it wasn’t a hit, but it didn’t completely disappear either.
Critics weren’t kind, but the film left an impression, particularly its finale, which bears an unmistakable resemblance to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This similarity becomes even harder to ignore when you remember that Morahan directed the Guns N’ Roses video for T2, “You Could Be Mine.” Even the German dub gave Lambert the same voice actor as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Home video releases only added to the confusion. In the UK, the film was retitled Highlander 3: The Sorcerer and removed most of the magic effects. In the U.S., the release was labeled The Director’s Cut, despite being nearly identical to the European version.
Director Andrew Morahan later stated that he doesn’t view Highlander III as a direct sequel or prequel, but as an equal to the original film, another interpretation existing alongside it. He’s also expressed disappointment with the production, citing constant interference from producers and Lambert himself.
Final Thoughts
Highlander III was a soft reset long before soft resets were trendy; the Halloween H20 of its franchise. It ignored the sequel everyone wanted to forget and tried, sincerely, to get things back on track.
It’s not a great film, but it plays by the rules of the Highlander universe far more faithfully than The Quickening. Christopher Lambert is solid, Deborah Kara Unger is likable, and Mario Van Peebles gives an enthusiastically unhinged performance as Kane. In a franchise built on contradictions, alternate cuts, and questionable immortality math, “better than last time” counts as a win.
And that, my friends, is what happened to Highlander III.
A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!
