At San Diego Comic-Con, the original Cliffhanger director comments on the remake being made. Released in 1993, the original film was a mountain adventure movie starring Sylvester Stallone as Gabe Walker, a former mountain rescuer who has to take on another mission to rescue a group of plane crash survivors in the Rocky Mountains.
Now, a new version of Cliffhanger is being made by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film follows the same general plot, but subsтιтutes Stallone for Lily James. Also starring in the movie are Pierce Brosnan, Nell Tiger Free, and Bruno Gouery. The movie is set for release on April 3, 2026.
In an interview with ScreenRant at SDCC, original Cliffhanger director Renny Harlin comments on the remake. He clearly wished the reboot’s team the best, saying that he “wish[es] them luck” and hopes “that they’re going to do great.” However, he did say that it was “not an easy task,” in a statement fully released below:
Ash Crossan: I want to ask you, they’re doing another Cliffhanger movie, finally, after so many stops and starts. What do you think of that, and are you going to be involved in any way?
Renny Harlin: That’s a long question and long answer. I’ll keep it short. [Chuckles] I think, personally, there’s no greater honor than somebody saying your movie was successful or interesting enough that we want to remake it to a new generation. I wish them luck, and I hope that they’re going to do great. But having remade The Strangers into this trilogy, I know it’s not an easy task, and I just say good luck.
What This Means For Cliffhanger
Renny Harlin Speaks From Personal Experience
Harlin is referencing his recent horror movies, which serve as a remake of Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film The Strangers. The first of Harlin’s trilogy, The Strangers: Chapter 1 was released last year. It made $48.1 million worldwide, but was met with fairly negative reviews.
Harlin still has two more Strangers movies to go, explaining how he is feeling the difficulty of that. He knows firsthand what it is like to put out a remake that is less well-received than the original, and that is clearly his fear for the Cliffhanger team.
Harlin still walks away thinking that it is an “honor” that somebody would want to remake his film.
That said, it is a good thing that Harlin still voices his support for the Cliffhanger team. His film was fairly successful when it came out, making $255 million in theaters, so the new movie will have a lot to live up to. However, Harlin still walks away thinking that it is an “honor” that somebody would want to remake his film.
Our Take On The Cliffhanger Remake Update
Lily James Had A More Positive Outlook
Harlin’s Cliffhanger remake quote comes just days after James recently provided a much more enthusiastic evaluation of the film. The actor noted all the physical work she put into her training for the film, and said that the movie “keeps all the gripping glory of the original.”
In comparison, Harlin’s thoughts on the Cliffhanger remake represent a far more cautious optimism. It is hard to know who is correct here, as the opinion seems split between the person who has more industry experience and the one who is closer to the remake itself. Everyone is rooting for Cliffhanger‘s success, however, so hopefully it will be a big hit upon its release next year.
