The reboot of the mountaineering film Cliffhanger will be done without Sylvester Stallone, but with another cult actor from the James Bond saga.
Released in 1993, Cliffhanger saved Stallone's career (more or less anyway). Entangled since the beginning of the 90s in an accumulation of second-rate films with the turnip Cobra, Over the Top, High securitythe bittersweet Tango and Cash or even Stop or my mother will shoot!Sly experienced a renaissance thanks to this high-mountain thriller masterfully directed by Renny Harlin. With 255 million dollars collected at the worldwide box office (for a budget of 70) and an enormous career in video clubs, Cliffhanger became one of the most notable songs of Stallone's career.
It is therefore not surprising that a project to develop the franchise has been mentioned in the corridors of Hollywood. Since 2008, we have heard about a sequel to Cliffhanger. At one time, there was even talk of a remake of Cliffhanger with a woman, but in 2023, it was confirmed that Stallone would reprise his role in a sequel. Except that yet another reversal has just taken place: Sylvester Stallone has left the film, and he will be replaced by a former James Bond.
Cliffhanger: Kaizen, only better
The information was revealed by Variety : exit Sylvester Stallone, who gave his features to Gabe Walker, the best mountaineer in Hollywood (too bad for Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2). It is now Pierce Brosnan who will play the main role in this new Cliffhangerin the guise of Ray Cooper, an experienced mountain guide. Stallone's departure confirmed that the film will be a reboot of the franchise, and no longer a sequel.
Alongside Pierce Brosnan, we will find Lily James who will play Naomi, the daughter of Ray Cooper, a mountaineer who struggles with serious post-traumatic stress syndrome. The film will also change setting, since the action will no longer take place in Colorado, but in the Dolomites in Italy, as confirmed by the official synopsis of the film.
“In this reboot of Cliffhanger, seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper (Pierce Brosnan) and his daughter Sydney run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites. During a weekend with the son of a billionaire, they are the target of a gang of kidnappers. Naomi (Lily James), Ray's eldest daughter, still haunted by a climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must face her fears and fight for survival in the Italian Dolomites. »
With the departure of Sylvester Stallone, this new Cliffhanger also changed director. Ric Roman Vaugh (Greenland) was thus replaced by Jaume Collet-Serra (Survival instinct, Non-stop and soon Carry-On on Netflix). At the microphone of Varietythe filmmaker spoke about his vision of the film and praised the work of Lily James:
“It was imperative for us to shoot our film in the Dolomites using large format cameras to show the scope and scale of the story we are telling. We will provide audiences with a premium, truly thrilling and visceral cinematic experience.
Lily, in particular, went above and beyond for this role, actually training and learning to climb. His dedication has allowed us to capture some incredible shots that we wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, and the entire team is blown away by his commitment. »
In addition to Lily James and Pierce Brosnan, we will find Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Franz Rogowski (Passages) and a French trio: Assaad Bouab (Ten percent), Suzy Bemba (The Opera) and Bruno Gouery (Emily in Paris). Currently filming in Austria, this remake/reboot of Cliffhanger is expected to arrive in cinemas in 2025.
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