Lily James and Pierce Brosnan Reteam for"Cliffhanger" Reboot

A reboot of Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 action classic “Cliffhanger” is currently in production, but the pic will look a lot different from the package initially announced nearly 18 months ago.

Stallone will no longer star in the upcoming movie meant to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh (“Greenland”) from a script by Mark Bianculli (“Hunters”). 

The creative overhaul also sees Lily James (“The Iron Claw, “Pam & Tommy”) taking on the lead role, with Pierce Brosnan co-starring and Jaume Collet-Serra (“Carry-On,” “Non-Stop”) helming. The new script is based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour. 

The project hails from Rocket Science in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix.

Production is underway in Austria with a buzzy supporting cast, including Nell Tiger Free (“Servant,” “The First Omen”), festival darling Franz Rogowski (“Passages”), Shubham Saraf (“Shantaram”), Assaad Bouab (“Franklin”), Suzy Bemba (“Poor Things”), and Bruno Gouery, a breakout star of the Netflix hit “Emily in Paris.”

Insiders familiar with the project described it as a father-daughter take on “Die Hard.” Brosnan will play seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper, who operates a luxury chalet in the Dolomites with daughter Sydney. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers. Ray’s daughter Naomi (James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must confront her fears and fight for survival.

Lars Sylvest of Thank You Pictures, Joe Neurauter of Supernix, and Rocket Science’s Thorsten Schumacher will produce with Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe.

“Cliffhanger” aims for a theatrical release with Rocket Science handling international sales and CAA Media Finance representing North American and Chinese territories. Rocket Science has a partnership agreement with Studiocanal for the film’s rights.

Amirpour and Collet-Serra are executive producing. Chance Wright of Wright Productions and Front Row Entertainment’s Gianluca Chakra and Hisham Alghanim are co-investors and executive producers. 

Josef Brandmaier, Jeff Most, Katy Most and Matthew Stedman are executive producing for Level Field Media Finance. Philipp Kreuzer is executive producing for Supernix.

Proving the truly collaborative nature of independent filmmaking, there are yet more executive producers: Kwesi Dickson and Jay Taylor for Electric Shadow as well as MTG and Rodrigo Tarazona; Robert Daly Jr. and David Lipper for Latigo Films; and Kevan van Thompson for Capfilms. 

James will also executive produce through her banner Parodos Productions, alongside partner Gala Gordon. Hungarian Hero Squared, Jonathan Halperyn, and Daniel Kresmery are co-producing along with Jazmyn Tanski.