Pierce Brosnan Stars In ‘Cliffhanger’ Reboot With Female Co-Lead Lily James
Another remake no one asked for has made the climb and will see the crumbling summit of a theatrical window. Interestingly, though, Pierce Brosnan is involved, so maybe it has a chance of being good.
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The remake of Cliffhanger is in the can and has been acquired for a bold distribution strategy by newcomers Row K. Per Collider, they bought the US distribution rights at the Toronto International Film Festival in an eight-figure deal that will send their dangling gamble to 3,000 screens in 2026.
The plot appears to be true to the original mandate of the project when it was first announced in 2019. A female climber (Lily James) haunted by an accident has to pull it together to save her father and sister (played by Brosnan and Nell Tiger Free, respectively), who become the target of kidnappers when a billionaire’s son comes to stay.
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This is only the latest permutation of this film. It started as a remake and later became a legacy sequel after it was shelved. Jason Momoa was going to have a supporting role in the first go, but obviously, that didn’t come to pass. A female lead was always the plan, and a female director was supposed to be at the helm, too.
Instead, directing duties fell into the hands of Jaume Collet-Serra (The Woman in the Yard), who had previously worked with Brosnan in Black Adam. Before Serra, the project was developed with Ric Roman Waugh (Greenland) attached, and then redeveloped under Jean-François Richet (Assault on Precinct 13, 2005), according to The Wrap.
Under Serra, the film is still designated as an “Untitled Cliffhanger film,” but is reportedly a legacy sequel, possibly featuring a Sylvester Stallone cameo. His name appears in the cast list, though the accuracy is disputed. It was reported that Stallone’s involvement ended once the project was overhauled.
Stallone starred in the 1994 film of the same name. Also starring John Lithgow and Janine Turner, Cliffhanger is one of Stallone’s best-received films outside the Rocky and Rambo franchises. It never received a sequel until now, and producers hope audiences will hang around for more installments if this one is a hit.
