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If you look at Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood & Larry Ferguson's Highlander screenplay as of 2/6/1985, most of it is nearly 100% identical to the movie (the plot and even the lines).

Everywhere I saw, it was billed as "final".

However, it differs from both US release of the movie, and even the European-release-based Director's cut, in significant ways. Two examples are:

  • Opening MSG sport was wrestling instead of hockey

    Wikipedia mentions that (according to DVD commentary) that was done for a reason.

  • There was no closing scene where Rachel finds out that MacLeod survives from the fact that Kurgan was listed as the last victim by Moran; and flirts with Moran.

Is there a screenplay version (NOT the novelization) that's "more final" and matches the actual movie?

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    Things like those instances can change in production, and not make it into the shooting script. As is the case with some re-shoots or pick-up shots. Other than transcriptions, almost no shooting scripts corresponds 100% with the final film. Some "re-writes" even occur in the editing bay.
    – Meat Trademark
    Commented Jan 2, 2014 at 8:46
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    @MeatTrademark "Some "re-writes" even occur in the editing bay." Too true. I've sometimes watched movies that had me thinking 'What the huh?' only to later see the 'Directors Cut' that made everything entirely clear.
    – Andrew Thompson
    Commented Jan 2, 2014 at 10:01

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The screenplay for Highlander received extensive re-writes between the early drafts by Gregory Widen in June 1981 and the initial shooting script completed in Feb 6th 1985 by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood & Larry Ferguson, this being the latest version available on the internet.

There does seem to exist a "final shooting script" that was revised up to June 21, 1985 (e.g. beyond the start of principal filming) but you'll need to pay cashy-money to get hold of it. This booklet was apparently available through the official Highlander mail order catalog.

blue booklet of first draft screenplay

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