This project was first announced as a Stallone-led “Cliffhanger” sequel, but many months later, right as production was about to start, things shifted dramatically. Stallone dropped out, and the film was rebranded as a “reboot.”
THR described the move as “a creative overhaul,” with Lily James stepping into the lead, Pierce Brosnan co-starring, and Jaume Collet-Serra (“Non-Stop”) directing. The new script, based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), has been pitched by insiders as a father-daughter spin on Die Hard.
The reboot, which is now in post-production, might have kickstarted a new franchise. Deadline’s reporting that early development has already kicked off on a sequel to the “Cliffhanger” reboot—yes, a sequel to a movie that hasn’t even been released yet. There’s no confirmation on whether the current cast or Collet-Serra would return.
The first film, probably releasing next year, has Brosnan playing Ray Cooper, a veteran mountaineer running a luxury chalet in the Dolomites, whose family outing with a billionaire’s son turns into a kidnapping nightmare. James, as his daughter Naomi, haunted by a past climbing tragedy, is thrust into survival mode. The project is being sold as a big-screen event, with IMAX plans already in place.
The original “Cliffhanger” (1993), directed by Renny Harlin and starring Stallone, grossed $255M worldwide and became a staple of ’90s action cinema. Stallone, however, has no involvement in either the reboot or the sequel now being cooked up.
A sequel in development before the first film even screens publicly suggests a lot of confidence—or a lot of desperation. Time will tell which.
Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.