Jaume Collet-Serra’s Cliffhanger reboot has officially reached the summit — with Row K Entertainment announcing an August 28, 2026, theatrical release for the high-altitude survival thriller starring Pierce Brosnan and Lily James. The film, a modern day retelling of Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 action classic — although hearing about a 1993 movie being updated for a modern audience is terrifying — was acquired by Row K out of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and has quickly climbed to the top of the distributor’s upcoming slate. While August is often considered a “dump month” for theatrical releases, it’s also a smart window, offering breathing room between crowded summer blockbusters and prestige Oscar bait.
Where Stallone’s original saw Gabe Walker battling thieves among the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Collet-Serra’s version trades Colorado for the Italian Dolomites. The story follows Brosnan’s Ray Cooper, who runs a secluded alpine chalet with his daughter Sydney. During a weekend getaway with a billionaire’s son, their group becomes the target of a kidnapping plot — forcing Sydney’s daughter Naomi (played by Lily James) to face her deepest fears after witnessing the attack.
Haunted by a past climbing accident, Naomi must scale impossible heights — both literally and emotionally — to save her family. From early descriptions, it sounds less like a straight remake and more like a tense, character-driven survival story that borrows themes from the original. But Row K’s confidence in the project seems to be sky-high: producers Rocket Science and Thank You Pictures are reportedly already developing a sequel to the Cliffhanger reboot. That’s a rare move for a film that hasn’t yet released, but it suggests strong buzz — and possibly an eye toward building a new franchise.
What Can We Expect from ‘Cliffhanger’?
James, who also produces, has been quite open when talking about about the grueling shoot in the Italian Alps, as she revealed to Collider‘s Perri Nemiroff at TIFF for her new movie, Swiped:
“I remember after I joined onto the project, and we came on board as producers, I was sitting having dinner with Jaume and Carla, my partner, and we just had a lovely dinner, we were chatting about the film, and he was like, ‘Oh, so how are you with heights?’ And I suddenly choked. I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m very good with heights, actually. What have I done?’ All of a sudden, I realized that I would actually have to be on a mountain. Anyway, it turned out that was my favorite part of it. I learned to climb, and I did weeks and weeks and weeks, every day for five hours climbing. The best part of it is this weird physical, strenuous exercise mixed with something that was very sort of meditative and spiritual, actually. Without being too worthy, you are just out in nature, and you don’t have any other thought in your head because you’re so focused on getting up and staying attached to the mountain sounds.”
Cliffhanger opens on August 28, 2026.
via Collider