Sylvester Stallone was a truly iconic action star in his heyday, contributing his talents to everything from Rocky to Rambo. While he has some critical hits, he is not always known for making the best-quality movies. But he nearly always makes films that give audiences a good time.

In the 21st century, Stallone’s career has been defined by series like The Expendables movies. On the more consistently well-received side, he also acts in the show Tulsa King. In the past couple of years, development has started on a reboot of one of Stallone’s more iconic works. He is so distinctive that it will be hard for any actor to follow him, but the film’s lead actor speaks to what attempt it will make to live up to the original.

Lily James Is Hyping Up The Cliffhanger Remake

She Had Intense Training For The Film

Lily James has provided an update on the upcoming remake of Cliffhanger. The original 1993 film was a mountain adventure thriller starring Stallone, which told the story of a man who has to rescue a group of plane crash survivors in the Rocky Mountains. The movie was a $255 million box office hit and became notable in Stallone’s career.

A remake of Cliffhanger was initially announced in 2023, and Stallone initially would have reprised his role. Things shifted the following year, however, and the action star is no longer attached to the project. Now, the project will be a reboot starring James in the lead role as well as Pierce Brosnan.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, James provides a promising update on Cliffhanger, describing her physically challenging experience working on Cliffhanger, wherein she “did five hours of climbing a day.” She now loves climbing. In addition to the editing process, she also chimed in to say that she is “hopeful” about Cliffhanger, considering it “such a cool reimagining.” She believes that it “keeps all the gripping glory of the original.” Check out the full explanation from James below:

(Laughs.) Oh my God, I had the time of my life. It was so hard. I did five hours of climbing a day for many weeks, and I had the most amazing teacher. I was on mountains nonstop. I fell completely in love with it. It’s the most mind-body-soul activity. It’s so deeply athletic, but also meditative. And I’m a [mountain-climbing] addict now. [James holds her hand up to the camera.] I broke my little finger at Christmas, and I was so sad because I couldn’t climb.

But I’m really proud of Cliffhanger. I’m so excited. We’re in the edit and getting it ready, and I’m super hopeful. It is such a cool reimagining, and while it’s really unexpected at times, it keeps all the gripping glory of the original, I hope. I did all my own climbing, and I got real strong. (Laughs.) I was just pounding press-ups between every take.

Additionally, James also briefly spoke about her Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again reunion with Brosnan, who will be portraying her father. She revealed her excitement to work with the former James Bond actor and had nothing but praise. Read her comment below:

We were so lucky to have him, and he’s so brilliant in the movie. He’s one of life’s true gentlemen, and he was such a brilliant actor to have as our father in this story. He just brings real heart, and he elevates the whole thing. He’s just a dream, and getting to work with him again was so wonderful.

What This Means For Cliffhanger

The Film Has A Lot To Live Up To

James also points out how the film is not a sequel, but a reimagining. The most obvious difference between the original and this new version is swapping out a male protagonist for a female lead. A female mountain rescuer will seem very different on screen, and will not have the same feel to audiences.

While the reboot currently doesn’t have an official release, James reveals a crucial update about its progress. With editing already underway and getting ready, the studio may confirm its release very soon. From the sound of it, the window could be anytime within the next year as long as the movie doesn’t require any additional filming.

Another interesting facet of the Cliffhanger reboot is the casting of Brosnan in one of the lead roles. The interviewer points out that this will be particularly interesting for fans of the Mamma Mia! movies, as it will reunite these two actors on screen in a very different genre.

This is exciting in and of itself, but it builds on even further to what has been a career renaissance of sorts for Brosnan. Already this year, he has been in Black Bag and is slated to appear in The Thursday Murder Club. Cliffhanger will be another way to keep things fresh in Brosnan’s already blossoming career, and this early report suggests a great performance.

Source: THR