K.T Simpson
A remake of Renny Harlin’s “Cliffhanger” is in the works, with actor Jason Momoa the first to commit to filling one of the slots.
As opposed to the original, which featured Sylvester Stallone scaling the rockies, the new take will see a female dodging bullets amongst snow-dusted scenery. Further, the film will see a woman – “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” helmer Ana Lily Amirpour – helming.
According to Deadline, the “Aquaman” actor will ‘cameo’ in the film, in what’s said to be a ‘key’ part. Those whov’e seen the 1993 original can assume which part that would be.
The redo, a hot property on the Croisette this month, will be produced by action-movie vet Neal Moritz (“xXx”, “Fast and the Furious”) with Rocket Science representing the film at Cannes.
French outfit Studio Canal had attempted to get rights to the remake – which Moritz has been trying to make – for a number of years, but Rocket Science, who are usually helping finance the thing, have been sworn victor.
Sascha Penn (“Creed II”) wrote the latest draft of the film.
Amipour tells Deadline, who have the scoop on the project, that she recently hiked the French, Swiss and Italian Alps to get a feel for the territory.
“I instantly knew the elements of the story I wanted to tell. 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.”
“I am very excited to partner with Original Film and Rocket Science, who share my passion for this character-driven, high-adrenaline story; the survival film is one of my favorite genres,” she continued. “We are setting out to create a thrill-ride on the mountain which taps into the primal side of an action movie, where you see what a person is capable of doing to survive in the most extreme situations, pushed to the limits. Add to that some high-stakes espionage and a badass female mountain climber as the lead and it becomes a truly epic reinvention of what made the original Cliffhanger movie so fun and so thrilling.”
Moritz commented, “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. 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.”
The original film, which also starred Janine Turner, John Lithgow and Michael Rooker, was a heavily-consumed cinema snack of the early ’90s. Brief talk of a sequel followed – “The Dam”, which Stallone would’ve reprised his Gabe Walker – but talk dropped off quicker than Sarah.
