Because it worked so well forGhostbustersand theOcean’s 11franchises, we are officially getting aCliffhangerredo, only with a gender twist, as this Sylvester Stallone action classic will get remade with a mostly female cast. None of the new characters or actors have been announced yet but we do have official word thatAquamanandConan the Barbarianhimself Jason Momoa will show up in some capacity.
Rocket Science announced today they have acquired the rights toCliffhanger, which they will produce alongside Neal Moritz’s Original Film (the billion-dollarThe Fast and the Furiousfranchise). The female-led reboot of the 1993 classic will be directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, the cinematic mastermind behind the visionary filmsA Girl Walks Home Alone at NightandThe Bad Batchand based on a script by Sascha Penn (Creed II, upcoming Blacklist scriptC1:34).
Casting is currently underway for a female lead to headline an ensemble cast, withJason Momoa(Aquaman,Game of Thrones) in talks for a cameo.
Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe will produce under their Original Film banner alongside Thorsten Schumacher and partner Lars Sylvest for Rocket Science, who will also finance. Rocket Science acquired the rights toCliffhangerfrom StudioCanal and will be handling foreign sales, commencing in Cannes. CAA Media Finance initially brokered the deal between Rocket Science and StudioCanal. It will continue to represent North American and Chinese rights.
DirectorAna Lily Amirpoursaid this.
“I am very excited to partner with Original Films and Rocket Science, who share my passion for the character-driven high-adrenalin survival movie; one of my favorite genres. 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.”
Neal 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.”
Amirpour wrote and directed the critically acclaimedA Girl Walks Home Alone at NightandThe Bad Batchwhich starred Jason Momoa and Suki Waterhouse and won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Amirpour is also set to direct the Kate Hudson starrerBlood Moon, produced by John Lesher, with principal photography beginning in New Orleans next month, with Rocket Science handling foreign sales.
Moritz, under his Original Film banner is the producer of The Fast and the Furious franchise. Recent credits includeEscape Roomfor Sony’s Columbia Pictures as well as upcoming titles includingThe Art of Racing in the Rain, starring Kevin Costner which will be released on Sept. 27,Sonic the Hedgehogwhich Paramount Pictures will release on Nov. 8, and the upcomingBloodshotstarring Vin Diesel, which will be released by Sony Jun 30, 2025.
Rocket Science’s slate includes: Azazel Jacobs’French Exitstarring Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges and Tracy Letts; Aaron Sorkin’sThe Trial of the Chicago 7, set to star Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen and Seth Rogen; Gary Shore’sQueen Mary; and Jonathan Jakubowicz’s Resistance starring Jesse Eisenberg, which is currently in post-production. Front Row Entertainment is providing development finance forCliffhanger.
