Deadline is reporting that producer Neal Moritz (Fast & Furious) is teaming with director Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, The Bad Batch) for a female-led remake of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone action adventure film Cliffhanger.
Directed by Renny Harlin, the original movie saw Sly playing a haunted mountaineer and rescue ranger who finds himself pitted against a gang of thieves who are looking to recover their $100 million stash from the U.S. Treasury after a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains.
“I instantly knew the elements of the story I wanted to tell,” said Amirpour, who has already spent twelve months planning the movie. “There’s a special place in my heart for an action-survival movie. I’ve always been attracted to the theme of mountain climbers who, like filmmakers, have a certain madness to them. I love genre and fantasy and in this type of survival film you’re playing with real fear.”
The new Cliffhanger has been scripted by Sascha Penn (Creed II) and will feature a female lead. As yet there’s no word on casting, although it is said that Jason Momoa (Aquaman) has been offered a key cameo.
Here’s the official Cannes teaser artwork for the remake…
“I’ve been wanting to re-make this adrenaline filled survival thriller with a strong female protagonist – both in front of and behind the camera – for some time,” added producer Moretz. “The elements came together with Ana Lily and Rocket Science and we look forward to gathering the rest of the pieces. I’ve always wanted to make the movies I want to see — big at their core with characters which connect to the audience while simultaneously encouraging them to leave their house and go to a theater. Cliffhanger is just that, in what we hope will be the first of an entirely new franchise.”
Are you looking forward to seeing a new take on Cliffhanger? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @FlickeringMyth…