What's Going On With The Pierce Brosnan-Starring Remake Of Sylvester Stallone's 1993 Classic?

Published Sep 16, 2026, 3:20 PM EDT Karlis has been obsessing over television and movie news since he first learned how to read. He has worked in tech, as a musician, and in journalism with a well-rounded knowledge base of pop-culture throughout the eras. He claims that he has memorized the entire Internet Movie Database, and to date no one has been able to refute this. Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University, Karlis loves to examine the intersections of popular science-fiction and culture. His latest novel MASS. is available now on Amazon and examines a world where obesity has become a federal crime. Pierce Brosnan stars in a big new remake of a Sylvester Stallone movie that was filmed all the way back in 2024 but still hasn't been released. Following Brosnan's best movies, the planned story and spectacle of this thrilling reboot team a fantastic director with a stunning cast. Pushed back multiple times, the movie's release has been worrying. Brosnan is best known, of course, for his turn as James Bond. The actor has recently talked about the upcoming James Bond reboot, offering some insight into the casting process. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, that next iteration of the popular character is sure to make its star a household name overnight, as the Bond brand is so globally valuable. Since Bond, however, Brosnan has still been a great star. He was a stunning addition to the Netflix streaming hit The Thursday Murder Club, proving that even after all of these years, he still brings great presence, style, and charisma to his films. Featuring in a total of five movies in 2025, Brosnan is as busy as ever. All of this could culminate in making his next big movie one of the best of his career. Drawing from a familiar title that never received a sequel, this new reboot could be an enormous hit. And fortunately, following a great deal of behind-the-scenes difficulties with distribution, it looks to finally be released soon. Lily James And Pierce Brosnan Star In A Reimagining Of Cliffhanger Cliffhanger, a reboot of the Sylvester Stallone movie from 1993, is set to star Lily James and Pierce Brosnan, and has been discussed for years. For a long time, it appeared that a sequel to the original Cliffhanger movie would come together, with Stallone planned to return in a legacy sequel as recently as 2024. Unfortunately, a salary dispute kept Stallone from ultimately signing on to the project, and it was quickly reworked. Directors were shuffled through, with Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collett-Serra coming on board to helm a reboot that would star Lily James in the lead role as Naomi Cooper, an unrelated character to Stallone's Gabe Walker. The project came together surprisingly quickly, considering how it had stagnated as an intended sequel dating all the way back to 1994. Production began almost immediately after announcing the new version of the project, with filming taking place in the second half of 2024. The new version of the film was completed and boasted an excellent cast. Brosnan and James play a father and daughter, with Nell Tiger Free rounding out the cast of their family. Franz Rogowski, Shubham Sarif, Assaad Bouab and several others were added to the film in supporting roles. Financial Problems At Row K Have Been A Huge Issue Unfortunately, getting the film made turned out to be only the first hurdle for the new Cliffhanger, after its distributor ran into financial difficulties. Row K Entertainment was set to distribute the long-gestating sequel-turned-reboot after acquiring the rights at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025. Row K planned the film for a wide theatrical release on August 28, 2026, but behind-the-scenes financial issues grew, and several of their planned releases fell apart as a result. This included Maude Apatow's directorial debut, Poetic License, and many others that the new company had picked up over the course of 2025 and 2026. Earlier in 2026, Row K was still attempting to work with other distributors to release Cliffhanger, as they had already invested heavily in the project. Few details were made public, and the film was not made available on its release date. Cliffhanger Finally Has A Release Date, But Some Details Are Concerning At the Toronto International Film Festival in 2026, a new distributor finally picked up the rights to release Cliffhanger. Vertical, an entertainment company founded in 2012, will distribute the film in cinemas next year. While a specific date is not yet listed, it is planned for a spring release. Following Row K's failure to put the film out, this update is a relief. However, the scale of this new partner company might be something to worry about, especially when considering the unofficial numbers that have been claimed for the new Cliffhanger's budget, with many outlets reporting it costing $100 million. This seems like a staggering price tag for a film of this size, and would require significant box office returns in order to justify. Considering that Vertical's biggest box office hit to date is Luc Besson's Dracula, which earned only $42.4 million globally, it is unclear if the company has the infrastructure to support a film of this size. Still, in a world where companies like Warner Bros. have canceled completed movies for tax write-offs, it is a relief that the new Cliffhanger is still planned to be released. What Is The Future Of Cliffhanger? Even before Row K picked up the rights to the new Cliffhanger, Deadline reported that there were already some plans for a third Cliffhanger movie. While premature, it is clear that there is still hope that Cliffhanger could become a huge franchise that lasts for years to come. Details of that discussed sequel have not been shared, but it is not difficult to imagine plans to connect the new film, starring Brosnan and James, with the original 1993 movie. Teaming up Lily James' Naomi with Stallone's Gabe Walker in a third film, provided this new movie succeeds, could be a great option. This would also give the producers a sufficient expectation for continued success to be able to pay Stallone's salary. A story could also easily be assembled from the various remaining fragments of the originally planned sequel. With that said, the future of Cliffhanger is currently wholly dependent on the success of this next chapter, and that looks for from assured. Carrying such a large price tag, and being distributed by a smaller company, a great sum would need to be poured into marketing just to build up enough awareness to break even. Hopefully, this new chapter in the Cliffhanger saga is a great film. The pieces are certainly there, with a great director, fantastic stars, and a premise rife with potential. If and when it succeeds next year, that would be the time to begin discussing any options for future installments in the series. Release Date February 24, 2027 Director Jaume Collet-Serra Writers Mark Bianculli, Ana Lily Amirpour, Sascha Penn, Melanie Toast Producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Jaffe, Lars Sylvest, Thorsten Schumacher, Lily James, Joe Neurauter Cast Pierce Brosnan Ray Cooper