Sylvester Stallone was a staple of ’90s action films. Having been catapulted into stardom in Rocky in 1976, Stallone brought John Rambo to life in the ’80s before starring in a range of action/thriller movies like Demolition Man, The Specialist, Judge Dredd, and Copland. As seen in a movie like Point Break, Hollywood has a tendency to tap into cutting-edge trends to adapt into narrative, which includes a Stallone classic.
The actor worked with the infamous Carolco studio by starring in Cliffhanger, one of the craziest films of the decade. Cliffhanger is one of Stallone’s more memorable movies for many reasons. The film’s $1 million air-to-air transfer, its breathtaking on-location cinematography, and its believable villains all bolster Stallone’s presence as a brooding park ranger.
As Variety reports, the now-classic tale is being reimagined by director Jaume Collet-Sera (Carry On), and produced by Row K. The problem is that Row K has been shedding executives while shopping for partners for their current slate of films. Neon’s sub-label, Decal, is stepping up for the Cliffhanger reboot’s distribution. Other offers are on the table to pick up the mountain-topped thriller, which stars Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye) and Lily James (Baby Driver). Stallone will not be reprising his role, however. Written by Ana Lily Amirpour, Sacha Penn, Mark Bianculli, and Melanie Toast, the new Cliffhanger is set for an August release.
Lily James’ Naomi Cooper scaling a mountain in Jaume Collet-Serra’s Cliffhanger rebootRow K Entertainment
The original Cliffhanger, directed by Renny Harlin, followed Gabe Walker (Stallone), who is navigating the tragedy of losing a friend during a recent climb. Walker is soon brought in to guide what was meant to be a rescue mission, which turns out to be a sophisticated hijacking scheme by a team looking to steal suitcases of money dropped from a U.S. Treasury plane. Cliffhanger made $255 million on a $70-million budget.
Deadline describes the plot of the new (not-yet-officially-titled) Cliffhanger:
The film will follow a seasoned mountaineer, Ray Cooper (Brosnan), who operates a luxury chalet in the Dolomites with his daughter, Sydney. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers. Ray’s other daughter Naomi (James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must confront her fears and fight for survival.
Also producing are teams from Thank You Pictures, Supernix, Rocket Science, as well as Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffee. The long list of credits is indicative of the current production climate, where teams from across the industry are needed to band together to see a film through to release. Much uncertainty remains as the number of major studios continues to diminish, but at least we can expect a high-altitude thriller this summer.
Release Date
May 28, 1993
Runtime
112 Minutes
Director
Renny Harlin