From the dawn of time they came, moving silently down through the centuries, living many secret lives... Blockbuster.co.uk's Marshall Julius explores the history of the Highlander saga.

The humble brainchild of a UCLA student that grew into one of the most successful independent franchises of the past 20 years, the Highlander series continues to thrive. To date, there have been five Highlander movies, two television shows, a cartoon series, an animated movie, fourteen original novels, stacks of comic books and tons of licensed merchandise. An epic chronicle of warring immortals, set against all of human history, the series' own wondrous longevity is perhaps explained by its infinite variety. Certainly there is no shortage of fans out there waiting to see where the franchise will take them next.

The latest addition to the Highlander canon is fifth feature Highlander: The Source, available now to add to your lists, the story of the Immortals' quest to locate their Holy Grail, the font of their power. "This was a tremendous opportunity for a storyteller in this genre to take part in twenty years of mythology," said director Brett Leonard.

"I was a fan of the first movie," he continues, "and they wanted me to reinvigorate the franchise and do something much better from a script standpoint. This new one's very different. It's what I would call the dark Highlander. It's a very dark world. Adrian Paul is the lead. He's playing Duncan MacLeod from the TV series. I actually had never really even seen the show he starred in. I'm not a big TV fan so I came fresh to him and his character. I just wanted him to be very dark and brooding, something very different to what I eventually saw in some of the episodes. It'll be a fresh experience for Highlander fans."

"This is a more linear story," says star Adrian Paul of The Source. "It has no flashbacks, which surprised me, actually, at first, because I always loved doing the flashbacks, and I know the fans love them. So it was tricky to do. I think the idea was really good, in the sense that it became a quest movie. All the others had a different feel to them and were a little more convoluted. This one has one storyline that goes all the way through."

Notwithstanding the latest instalment, in the spirit of Highlander's love of historical flashbacks, let's go back to where it all began. Legend has it the idea for the series came to student Gregory Widen, a self-confessed history fanatic, while on a trip to England. Visiting the Tower of London, surrounded by the world's largest collection of armoury, he began to wonder about its history. Who had worn it? What kind of action had it seen? What kind of drama? The idea struck. Wouldn't it be great if someone were able to take him on a tour of such a place, explaining, "Here's how I got this," and "This is what I did with it". Conceived as a class project, Highlander was Widen's first screenplay. Though largely re-written by the time it reached the screen in 1986, courtesy of pop video director Russell Mulcahy, the idea of immortals romping through history remained.

"The guy is immortal," says French actor Christopher Lambert of hero Connor MacLeod (of the Clan MacLeod). "That's amazing, because he can do whatever he wants and nobody can kill him. But there is also something very sad about that. I realised there's a strange duality to his character. Can you imagine, somebody going to fight a duel and getting run through five times, and yet he's still standing? And finally he has to say, 'I'm sorry, I can't help it. That's the way it is.'"

There can be only one, indeed... 1991 saw the first of the big screen sequels, Highlander II: The Quickening, again directed by Mulcahy, with Lambert in the lead. It was not a success, neither critically, financially, nor with the fans. Salvation came the following year when Highlander: The Series (1992-1998) hit the air, an immediate hit with British actor Adrian Paul in the lead as Connor clansman Duncan MacLeod. Set in the distant future, Highlander: The Animated Series (1994) featured a third MacLeod, namely Quentin (voiced by Miklos Perlus).

Acting as a stand-alone sequel to the original movie, Highlander III: The Sorcerer saw Lambert battling evil wizard Mario Van Peebles, and though no classic, was certainly an improvement over the second movie. Then came one-season wonder Highlander: Raven, a spin-off of the TV show focusing on an immoral immortal. The fourth movie, Highlander: Endgame (2000), saw Christopher Lambert team up with Adrian Paul for a double dose of MacLeod action. And now here we are, 22 years later, with a fifth live action movie, Highlander: The Source, and a striking anime feature, Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, from Ninja Scroll director Yoshiaki Kawajiri.

As for the future of the franchise, Adrian Paul, fifty next year, says that "eventually, a younger immortal will take over the reins." Because when you're getting older, and it's starting to show, you can't expect people to believe you're immortal. Whatever happens, it's clear by now that Highlander will endure, regardless of any mistakes the series makes along the way. There's another MacLeod out there. And another. Then another. It's a kind of magic, apparently.

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