The belated Cliffhanger 2 could give Sylvester Stallone a much needed boost after a stretch of bad luck with franchises. During Hollywood’s so-called Golden Age, movie stars avoided sequels, with most finding them inferior attempts to cash in on a hit. During the 1970s, Stallone was one of the first actors to recognize the value of building a franchise for himself, so when his post-Rocky movies flopped, he soon returned with Rocky 2. That’s not to say he didn’t find value in dipping back into the Rocky movie franchise and fleshing out new chapters in the boxer’s life, however.
It was when Stallone hit big with the Rambo movies that he became the king of sequels, and could typically rely on a new sequel in either series to boost his box-office numbers. Other Sylvester Stallone franchises include The Expendables and Escape Plan, and over 30 years after the original, Sly will return as Gabe Walker in a sequel to Cliffhanger. Plot details for the follow-up are largely under wraps, though it is said Gabe’s daughter will play a big role in the story.
Cliffhanger 2 Could Release In 2025 After Latest Filming Update
The Stallone sequel is set to start filming very soon
According to a report from ScreenDaily, Cliffhanger 2 will start filming in Fall 2024 in locations around Austria and Bavaria. The sequel’s previously announced director Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen) has dropped out and will be replaced by Plane’s Jean-Francois Richet. Over the years, Stallone has expressed interest in returning to several other one-off hits like Tango & Cash or Cobra, but Cliffhanger is one of the safer bets. With the sequel heading before cameras in the Fall, a late 2025 release window for the upcoming Cliffhanger 2 feels like a realistic goal.
The Renny Harlin-directed original restored Stallone to the top of the box office after a run of bombs like Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. The “Die Hard on a Mountain” film has aged very well too, thanks to a mix of practical location filming and stuntwork, in addition to John Lithgow’s delightfully smarmy turn as the villain. Stallone will be around 78 by the time Cliffhanger 2 begins filming too, so it will be interesting to see how active Gabe will be in the next outing.
Cliffhanger 2 & Levon’s Trade Could Give Sylvester Stallone A Big Year
2025 could undo a streak of bad luck for Stallone
With Levon’s Trade and Cliffhanger 2 looking likely for 2025 releases, Stallone could be on course for a healthy year at the box office.
It has yet to be confirmed that Cliffhanger 2 will arrive in 2025, but one Stallone project that definitely will is Levon’s Trade. Stallone’s Expendables co-star Jason Statham takes the lead in this thriller, playing a retired Black Ops agent who returns to his old ways when his boss’ daughter goes missing. Stallone won’t appear in Levon’s Trade but penned the adaptation based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Dixon.
Statham will reteam with his Beekeeper helmer David Ayer on the film, with their previous collaboration having scored a healthy $152 million in early 2024 (via The Numbers). Levon’s Trade stands a good chance of matching or surpassing that tally, and could even lead to a new series itself. With Levon’s Trade and Cliffhanger 2 looking likely for 2025 releases, Stallone could be on course for a healthy year at the box office.
Sylvester Stallone Needs A Big Year In Theaters
Stallone has lost his three biggest franchises in recent years
For Stallone, Rocky, Rambo and The Expendables have been reliable sagas to revisit, but that has changed in recent times. The star walked away from the Creed movies and the Rocky character following a dispute with producers. He retired the titular character in 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, which proved to be a critical and commercial disappointment. The Expendables 4 was a huge box-office bomb too, grossing around half its production budget and receiving terrible reviews.
As a leading man, Stallone needs an unambiguous hit, and Cliffhanger 2 could provide it.
While he’s had successes with the Guardians of the Galaxy sequels, Stallone’s role in both were glorified cameos. Sly also has smaller projects in the works like Armored or Alarum with Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher), though both will likely head direct to streaming. As a leading man, Stallone needs an unambiguous hit, and Cliffhanger 2 could provide it. If it works, maybe that long-mooted Demolition Man sequel can finally happen too.
There are even whispers of a potential Rambo 6, though the star sounds done with the character. More than anything, it would be nice to see Stallone score a hit after a few years of bad luck, and especially after his role was downgraded in The Expendables 4 for no particular reason. He hasn’t had a really solid critical and commercial success since 2015’s Creed either. Maybe Cliffhanger 2 could even lead to a third entry, though it hopefully won’t take another 30 years to come together.