The Cliffhanger remake was teetering on losing its grip, but it hung on long enough to find someone who would back it up.
The mountain can be good for business, especially in 1993 when Cliffhanger was a bit of a hit. Produced for $70 million—a sizable sum by the standards of the time—this action mystery starring Sylvester Stallone as a traumatised former rescue climber, tangled with a gang of mercenaries led by John Lithgow, raked in about $255 million at the box office. It stands as one of Stallone’s last big-buck blockbusters from the Italian Stallion era, save for The Expendables trilogy in the 2010s.
Clearly, a remake/reboot was inevitable, this time not under Renny Harlin but under Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Survivor, Black Adam, Carry-On…), with Pierce Brosnan and Lily James. Originally conceived as a sequel before Stallone’s exit, this new Cliffhanger has already been shot, but its release has been seriously compromised. Fortunately, things are starting to turn around.
From cliffhanger to twist
In March 2026, news surfaced about Row K, the distributor slated to handle the film’s U.S. release. The brand-new company run by Christopher Woodrow and Raj Singh was reportedly unable to meet its financial obligations. An article in Variety quoted eight employees describing a cataclysmic internal environment, punctuated by frantic calls or outright threats of lawsuits from angry creditors and vendors. As a result, several projects were put on hold, including Maude Apatow’s Poetic License and Cliffhanger.
Acquired for a seven-figure sum according to Deadline, the project thus found itself in turmoil as Row K’s principals searched for a way out. But on May 21, American outlets reported that it could land in Neon’s U.S. catalog. According to the chatter, Neon—the independent distribution powerhouse—was nearing a deal, though other bidders were still in the running. Row K would, however, remain involved in the release.
This acquisition would be the perfect chance to give a boost to the Decal label launched by Neon and Bleecker Street, which has since stepped back out of the spotlight quite quietly. Regardless of the imprint involved, it marks a turning point for the distributor, which has built its name on ultra-prestigious auteur cinema. It recently snagged the freshly crowned Palme d’Or winner, Fjord. That marks seven years in a row that Neon has walked away with the top prize!
Before Row K’s troubles, the reboot was planned for an August 2026 release on 3,000 screens in the United States. Talks were underway to push it to the early part of 2027. The deal, if it happens, doesn’t appear to involve France, where StudioCanal had penciled in August 26. One hopes the American distributor’s turmoil won’t derail the French release, or that the French date won’t affect the American rollout.
