News.
Leeds museum offers visitors a chance to meet Hollywood screenwriter, Gregory Widen
19th October 2026
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the creator of cult classic film, Highlander, revisits his original inspiration for the story: The Royal Armouries collection.
The Royal Armouries Museum has announced that American screenwriter, film director and novelist, Gregory Widen, will host a live screening of his 1986 classic film, Highlander at the Leeds museum.
Widen’s original inspiration for the story began with a visit to the Royal Armouries collection at the Tower of London when he was just 19 years old. Surrounded by one of the world’s oldest armoury collections, he remembers wondering what it would be like to have lived hundreds of years, owned the arms and armour and worn them in battle. This idea helped inspire a franchise spanning multiple films, three television series, novels and comic books.
Image credit: Royal Armouries
In celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary, Widen is returning to the museum – now headquartered in Leeds – for a screening, live Q&A and meet & greet.
In conversation with the Royal Armouries’ Keeper of Firearms and YouTube personality, Jonathan Ferguson, visitors will hear from Widen about the inspiration behind the cult classic, including how the story developed and its journey from an idea to the film audiences know and love today.
The event will be held at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, on Tuesday 17th November (6-10pm) with standard tickets available for £20.
For full details and tickets, visit the museum website: Highlander | Royal Armouries