Sylvester Stallone chooses South Tyrol to shoot the long-awaited sequel to Cliffhanger
After 31 years since the original Cliffhanger, the high-altitude action movie directed by Renny Herlin and set in the Rocky Mountains, which grossed over $255 million worldwide, Sylvester Stallone will reprise his role as mountaineer Gabe Walker for the sequel directed by Jean-Francois Richet, which will take the star to South Tyrol for a story set in the Dolomites. The film, tentatively titled Cliffhanger 2, is among the 11 projects (seven from Italy, three from Germany, and one from Austria) supported by IDM Film Commission Sudtirol.
In the story, we will find Gabe Walker managing an exclusive mountain chalet together with his daughter Sydney. The arrival of a billionaire client will lead Gabe, Sydney, and his younger sister Naomi on a dangerous journey where they fall into the clutches of a ruthless gang of kidnappers. The film is produced by Supernix Austria, Supernix Germany, and Rocket Science Cliffhanger from London.
According to reports already circulating about the film, filming could begin this summer for a release in 2025.
Jean-Francois Richet, winner of the 2009 Cesar for Best Director with Public Enemy Number One – Part 1: Mesrine starring Vincent Cassel, which tells the true story of French gangster Jacques Mesrine, and director of thrillers like Blood Father (2016) with Mel Gibson and The Plane (2023) with Gerard Butler, will direct the Cliffhanger sequel in place of Roman Waugh, who was initially attached to the project. In an interview with Radiotimes, Stallone hinted at the sequel: “I expect it to produce a lot of good entertainment. The first film turned out to be sensational,” he explained. Obviously, given his age, in the sequel, “I’m not hanging on all the peaks I would like,” but the character “keeps the flag flying high. And the script was fantastic. I was really impressed.”
Among the other projects financed by IDM are Woodwalkers 2, a fantasy film by German director Sven Unterwaldt, and the documentary Kampf Gegen Die ‘Ndrangheta by Stefano Strocchi, which tells the story of the European fight against the ‘Ndrangheta from the mid-1990s to the present.
In conclusion, fans of the original Cliffhanger can look forward to the highly anticipated sequel, which will see Sylvester Stallone returning to the role of Gabe Walker. The film will be set in the breathtaking Dolomites of South Tyrol, adding a new dimension to the high-stakes action and adventure. With Jean-Francois Richet at the helm, known for his directorial prowess and thrilling storytelling, audiences can expect a captivating and adrenaline-pumping experience. While Stallone acknowledges his age may limit some of his mountain-climbing feats, he assures fans that Gabe Walker will continue to be a strong and iconic character. As filming is set to begin this summer, fans will have to wait until 2025 for the release of Cliffhanger 2, but if the first film is anything to go by, it will be worth the wait.