Cliffhanger 2 is currently being worked on, and new details have emerged. A cliffhanger sequel is finally in the works, with Sylvester Stallone set to return as Ranger Gabriel “Gabe” Walker. According to reports, Mark Bianculli (Hunters) will write the script for the legacy sequel, with Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen) directing. The continued success of legacy sequels in recent years probably made it inevitable that we would get to this point.
Cliffhanger 2
Cliffhanger 2 director Waugh confirmed in an interview with ScreenRant that he would be directing the sequel. In the sequel, Sylvester Stallone character Gabe is evolving as he becomes older and has a daughter following in his footsteps by becoming a mountaineer. As well, Waugh reveals that the sequel will take place in the Italian Alps where “all hell breaks loose,” presumably teaming up Gabe and his daughter against a new threat. According to Waugh:
Cliffhanger
“I’ve also now come aboard — which I’m very excited about — a huge title of the early ’90s, harkens back to my stunt career, didn’t work on it, but knew very much about it. I’m going to do the next evolution of Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone, and watch his character evolve forward, and he has a daughter now who’s a mountaineering climber, as well, and all hell breaks loose in the Italian Alps, and here we go.”
In addition, Waugh compares Cliffhanger to Top Gun: Maverick and Creed, addressing how those two films were able to evolve their respective movie series in a major way. We need to bring back legacy characters to mingle with new stars, simultaneously freshening up the franchise and appealing to longtime fans.
“But it’s the evolution of [Cliffhanger] the way Top Gun: Maverick carried forward the story of the original movie, how Creed became the evolution of a franchise of Rocky into something new. That’s kind of what we’re after on Cliffhanger, so that’s fun, It’s fun to be part of a new fresh start or the evolution of something like that. But, one is a continuation of a story that means a lot to me, and the other one is going to be fun to hopefully evolve something in a really cool and meaningful way.”
In recent years, Cliffhanger has been revived several times. An Ana Lily Amirpour-directed reboot inspired by the Sylvester Stallone film was reported in 2019. In an interview with MovieWeb last year, Amirpour admitted that remakes can be risky, but similarly felt inspired by Top Gun: Maverick to make a new Cliffhanger film. According to the director:
“I think remakes can be dangerous, because some of these movies are just, in my mind, perfect as they were. But I think if it’s something that kind of goes off of the original — like, I loved Prey, this movie that was a new installment of The Predator. And the original Predator is one of my top favorite movies of all time, and it’s massive. And of all the movies and sequels that have come, there have been quite a few for Predator, this new one Prey is the one I like. I felt like it took what the original was and really did something that stands apart but somehow is so connected. Same thing with Top Gun: Maverick, which to me was a genius sequel. So maybe it’s more like, rather than a remake, it’s a reinvention. It’s different.”
As of now, it’s unclear whether Waugh’s direct sequel means Amirpour’s reboot is no longer happening. The sequel that actually brings back Sylvester Stallone could still be in the works, but theoretically, both could be in the works. Whatever the case may be, there is no release date for the Cliffhanger sequel yet.
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