The "Highlander" legend continues when Adrian Paul returns as TV's favorite immortal in 'Highlander: The Source.'

ADRIAN PAUL took a break from shooting 'Nine Miles Down' to phone ET from the Budapest location of the film to promote the latest chapter in TV's "Highlander" saga, 'Highlander: The Source.'

The new movie, currently in stores on DVD, picks up several years after 'Highlander: Endgame' and sends Duncan (Adrian Paul), Methos (PETER WINGFIELD), Joe (JIM BYRNES) and several new characters on a quest to find answers to their eternal game of combat. But to do so, they face a powerful killer, the Guardian of the Source, who will stop at nothing to keep them from uncovering the origins of the immortals.

ET: What did it take to lure you back for another go-round as Duncan McLeod?

ADRIAN PAUL: I guess it was about having another chance to bring our own spin to it. Being executive producer on it, too, was another bonus. My job as executive producer is actually in the acting department -- in the casting and developing [the characters] in the film. That was my strength. The other stuff I really couldn't say I did anything on, because once you start shooting, it is difficult to be a producer, too.

I heard also that DAVID ABRAMOWITZ was going to write the script and I was excited about it because he knew the series, he knew the character and he has great heart. He always wrote with his heart and, I think, that is what "Highlander" is about. But, he didn't write the script. Somebody else ended up writing it.

ET: 'Highlander: The Source' seems to be set in a very dark future. What has happened to the world?

ADRIAN: It has gone to s---, hasn't it. Take a look at the Middle East. It is not that far off in that respect. I think that is where they wanted to go -- to make it a little darker and take the character down to the depths and see where that takes us. I could understand why Duncan would become that dark, because he always believed there was light at the end of the tunnel. He always believed that he would be the one. In the meantime, all his friends died. His wife and all his lovers died. And the world has turned to bedlam. No wonder he is a little down about it.

People forget he actually had a wife. We have my wife in this one, but there was also Kate from the last one four or five years ago. We have to make mention of that. She died, so I had lost Tessa and I lost Kate, and I didn't want to lose this one, too, which is why I didn't want to go on this quest. It is ridiculous. [Duncan says,] "Let's go away and hide somewhere and live that way and we will be happy." She is, "No, no, no. Let's follow that shiny thing over there."

ET: There was new mythology created for this. The Source and The Guardian weren't a part of the TV series.

ADRIAN: Again, what the idea of that is, I think, we had a Guardian and it was an interesting concept. It brought an interesting bad guy into it. I think that was the concept behind it.

ET: The production values seem to be different on this from the series. It seems to be more targeted to men than women.

ADRIAN: The interesting thing is I think you are right probably right in a sense. When you say production values, I think the look of the film was interesting. The colors -- and I am going a little bit subconscious on this -- the colors in the movie are not as warm. There is a lot of coldness in the blues and greens in the later part of the movie, which distances you from it, and makes it much more of an action feel and not that warm, romantic, colorful type of thing that happens in the colors we used in the series. The reason for that was because they going for more -- dare I say -- of a comic-book look. That was a choice. I am not saying it was right or wrong. It was a distinct choice in the look of the film.

ET: Music seemed to be a really important element this time.

ADRIAN: Some of it was done in Budapest. A symphony in Budapest recorded it. I was here at the time when they did that. Again, I had nothing to do with the music. I was just here hearing it. What they chose was what they chose.

ET: What can you tell us about the movie you are doing now?

ADRIAN: It is called 'Nine Miles Down.' It is a psychological thriller -- some people would say it is a sci-fi thriller. It's about a guy who is a security officer at a scientific dig in the middle of the Sahara desert and nobody is there. A woman turns up. He doesn't know who she is. Then things start happening. It is their relationship he questions. He starts to see his dead wife and the children who she shot. It is a really interesting concept. I think it is a good acting piece for me to do. I am very excited about what we have shot so far.

ET: Would you ever do another series?

ADRIAN: Yes, I would, depending on the series.