New details about the upcoming Cliffhanger 2 with Sylvester Stallone have been revealed, including the production start date. A recent report from Screen Daily reveals that the belated sequel has secured funding from the German production fund FFF Bayern. According to the report, production is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2024. The production plans to film across various locations in Europe. Notably, director Jean-Francois Richet is also involved in the project.
The screenplay, written by Mark Bianculli, will feature Stallone returning to his role as ranger Gabriel “Gabe” Walker. However, it sounds like his daughter might be handling a lot of the action. In his retirement, Gabe operates a mountain lodge. “When Gabe and a high-profile client are taken hostage during an adventurous weekend trip, his daughter has to use all her climbing skills to outwit the kidnappers, triggering a battle of life and death,” the official synopsis states.
Ric Roman Waugh will direct and executive produce Cliffhanger 2, which is based on a screenplay written by Mark Bianculli. Of course, Waugh is well-regarded in action circles. He directed high-octane films like Angel Has Fallen and Greenland, both featuring Gerard Butler.
Sylvester Stallone is Set to Produce and Star in ‘Cliffhanger 2’
In a statement, Waugh seemed enthusiastic about the undertaking. “Growing up with the biggest action films of the ’80s and ’90s, working on many of them myself, Cliffhanger was by far one of my favorite spectacles,” Waugh said. “To be at the helm of the next chapter, scaling the Italian Alps with the legend himself, Sylvester Stallone, is a dream come true. It’s going to be a great challenge and blast taking this franchise to new heights. [It’s] a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”
Cliffhanger 2 is currently in pre-production, with Neil H. Moritz (known for the Fast and the Furious films) and Toby Jaffe producing under the Original Film banner. Notably, Stallone and Thorsten Schumacher are also involved as producers for Balboa Productions. Meanwhile, Lars Sylvest also produces through Rocket Science, which is also providing financing for the film. The executive producers include Ana Lily Amirpour, Chance Wright, Gianluca Chakra, and Hisham Alghanim.
Of course, 1993’s Cliffhanger was directed by Renny Harlin and co-written by Stallone. It told the story of Walker, a mountain climber haunted by a past climbing disaster. However, he must overcome his fears when he becomes entangled in a high-stakes heist, with a group of international thieves searching for their lost loot after their plane crashes into the mountain.