Ryan Reynolds to play Highlander

Ryan Reynolds has apparently been cast as the new Highlander in the remake of the 1980s fantasy action movie.

The Green Lantern star's name has been linked to the project for some weeks, but now movie blog JoBlo.com claims to have official confirmation that Ryan will play leading man Connor MacLeod, who can only be killed by being decapitated.

28 Weeks Later's Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is directing the remake of the film about a Highlander who discovers he is one of "a dwindling group who wander the earth and kill each other in combat for the final prize - immortality".

Twilight's Melissa Rosenberg is writing the script for the new film, along with Iron Man writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway.

American-born French actor Christopher Lambert played the immortal swordsman in the original 1986 film, and in 2008 his Scottish accent was voted the worst in cinema history.

Sean Connery also starred in the original film.