Cliffhanger Reboot Is Bringing Back Sylvester Stallone To Hang Off More Cliffs
Sylvester Stallone may be done with "Rocky" and "Rambo" (or so it seems), but the action star isn't quite done revisiting roles from his past. To that end, it's come to light that the actor is set to star in a reboot of one of his most successful films, 1993's "Cliffhanger." And it sounds like this is pretty far along, as the movie has a script in place with a director attached. So get ready for some more hanging from cliffs in a theater near you in the not-too-distant future.
According to Variety, Stallone will reprise his role as mountain climber Gabe Walker in the new "Cliffhanger" film, which has not yet revealed its title. Ric Roman Waugh ("Angel Has Fallen," "Greenland") is set to occupy the director's chair, working from a screenplay by Mark Bianculli ("Hunters"). Neal H. Moritz, of "Fast & Furious" fame, will produce through his Original Film production company. No word yet on who may be eyed to star alongside Stallone or just how soon filming will begin. Though it's said casting is currently underway for a lead actor. Waugh had this to say about it:
"Growing up with the biggest action films of the '80s and '90s, working on many of them myself, 'Cliffhanger' was by far one of my favorite spectacles. To be at the helm of the next chapter, scaling the Italian Alps with the legend himself, Sylvester Stallone, is a dream come true. It's going to be a great challenge and blast taking this franchise to new heights, a responsibility I don't take lightly."
Uncertain in all of this is the fate of the female-led "Cliffhanger" reboot from Ana Lily Amirpour we heard about in 2019. Maybe this new take will have a female lead? It's hard to say, but Amirpour appears to no longer be involved.
Can this actually work?
In the age of reboots and legacy sequels tied to the past, this may feel like a bit of a stretch 30 years after the fact. But let us not forget that Stallone has had a lot of luck revisiting the past, particularly with movies like "Creed." Not to mention that, in its day, "Cliffhanger" was a pretty sizable hit. The action/thriller took in $255 million worldwide against a $65 million budget, and has been a mainstay on cable ever since. Factoring in home video for three decades as well and yeah, we're talking about a movie that made a lot of money.
The original film centered on Gabe Walker, reeling from a rescue mission gone wrong, getting caught up in the midst of a heist gone wrong after millions of dollars get lost in the mountains. Conceivable, the reboot/sequel could go the "Top Gun: Maverick" route, with Stallone training a bunch of new mountain climbers before trouble of some sort starts brewing. It's not all that difficult to picture, really. Moritz had this to add on the topic:
"I'll never forget the thrill I felt watching Sylvester Stallone in 'Cliffhanger.' I am incredibly excited to be working with him and Ric Waugh to continue the story of Gabe Walker and introduce this iconic story to a new generation of filmgoers around the world."
The "Cliffhanger" reboot does not currently have a release date.