Cliffhanger (film)

Carolco Pictures
Industry	Film production
Fate	Financial difficulties leading to minimal box office revenue shares
Key people	Renny Harlin (director, co-producer), Sylvester Stallone (actor, co-writer)
Products	Films including Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action thriller film helmed and co-produced by Renny Harlin, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside and starred Sylvester Stallone. The ensemble cast features John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, and Janine Turner. Originating from an idea by climber John Long, the narrative follows Gabe (Stallone), a mountain climber entangled in a robbery involving a U.S. Treasury aircraft over the Rocky Mountains.

The film debuted at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and was subsequently released in the United States on May 28, 1993, through TriStar Pictures. It grossed $255 million globally, ranking as the seventh top-grossing movie of that year, and garnered generally favorable critical reception.

Plot

Gabe Walker, a mountain rescue ranger, along with his girlfriend Jessie Deighan and colleague Frank, attempt to rescue fellow ranger Hal Tucker and his partner Sarah in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Despite Gabe’s efforts, Sarah tragically falls to her death, prompting Gabe to leave the rescue service burdened by guilt.

After eight months, Gabe returns to collect his belongings and tries to persuade Jessie to leave with him, but she declines. Meanwhile, Eric Qualen, an ex-military intelligence operative, masterminds a $100 million heist targeting a Treasury plane transporting uncirculated currency. Treasury agent Richard Travers hijacks the plane but is double-crossed by his crew. The plane explodes mid-flight, forcing the criminals’ jet to crash in the Rockies and scattering the stolen cash.

Hal responds to a false distress signal from Qualen’s mercenaries. Jessie convinces Gabe to join the mission. Both Gabe and Hal are captured by Qualen’s team and coerced into locating the dispersed money using Travers’ tracking device. Under threat, Gabe recovers one case but narrowly escapes an ambush during an avalanche that kills one mercenary.

Gabe reunites with Jessie at an abandoned ranger station; they equip themselves and secure another case before Qualen arrives. After a confrontation resulting in another mercenary’s death, Gabe and Jessie race against time to retrieve the final case while Hal protects two young climbers amid gunfire. One climber manages to escape via base jump.

Frank attempts to rescue the surviving climber by helicopter but is killed by mercenaries. Gabe fends off an attacker in a cave and barely escapes an explosion. Travers tries to betray Qualen but is forced into submission after Qualen eliminates one of his accomplices.

As mercenaries split up searching for the last case, Hal kills one assailant and escapes. Gabe deceives Travers by attaching a tracking beacon to an animal, leading Travers astray as he becomes increasingly unstable. Pursued by Travers beneath ice, Gabe kills him and is rescued by Hal.

Qualen takes Jessie hostage, demanding the money’s surrender. At a cliffside rendezvous, Gabe destroys the cash by throwing it into a helicopter’s rotor blades and rigs the helicopter with a winch cable. Following a final showdown atop the wreckage, Gabe defeats Qualen just as authorities arrive, reuniting with Jessie and Hal.

Development and writing

Carolco Pictures initially contracted Sylvester Stallone for a comedy titled Bartholomew vs. Neff, which was eventually abandoned. Stallone then became involved with two Carolco projects: Isobar, a sci-fi horror about a genetically engineered creature on a runaway train with an estimated $90 million budget involving directors such as Ridley Scott and Roland Emmerich, but it was canceled due to creative conflicts.

The other project was Gale Force, an action disaster film described as "Die Hard set during a hurricane," directed by Renny Harlin. Stallone was slated to star as an ex-Navy SEAL combating pirates amid a hurricane. Between 1984 and 1991, multiple script revisions were made at a cost exceeding $4 million; one draft by Joe Eszterhas was rejected for excessive erotic content. Carolco canceled Gale Force two weeks before filming over concerns about budget overruns and complicated special effects. Harlin retained his $3 million fee, and the team shifted focus to Cliffhanger, which had a $70 million budget—nearly twice that of Gale Force.

Harlin initially considered David Bowie or Bryan Ferry for the villainous role of Qualen; scheduling conflicts led to casting John Lithgow instead.

The film took inspiration from the 1956 drama The Mountain.

Prior to filming, Stallone extensively rewrote Michael France’s screenplay, earning official writing credit.

Approximately half of Cliffhanger’s budget was financed by TriStar Pictures, which secured distribution rights across North America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and France. Additional funding came from Carolco investors including Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera, Le Studio Canal+, and Pioneer Electric Corporation. The remaining expenses were covered by a $46.5 million production loan led by Credit Lyonnais Bank Nederland—one of the largest independent film loans at that time—fully repaid through distribution revenues.

Due to Carolco’s financial difficulties, the company received minimal box office revenue shares. Production encountered two halts when Carolco failed to pay crew wages; overall expenses surpassed the original budget by $40 million. Stallone reportedly waived $2 million of his $15 million salary due to these cost overruns.

Filming

The majority of the movie's scenes were captured in the Dolomites near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This includes the iconic bridge sequence filmed on Monte Cristallo at the via ferrata known as VF Ivano Dibona, which was later rebuilt following production. The climbing scenes predominantly took place on the cliffs of Tofane, offering panoramic views of the three Tofane peaks, Croda da Lago, and Cortina as seen from Mount Faloria. Additional footage was shot along the sentiero ferrato Astaldi close to Rifugio Dibona. A modest cabin was constructed on the sandy banks of the Boite river in Fiames, near the heliport area. Some portions of filming were conducted in Durango, Colorado, with gratitude extended to the Ute Tribe for permitting access to the Ute Mountain reservation.

Cliffhanger is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records for featuring the priciest aerial stunt ever performed. Stuntman Simon Crane earned $1 million for executing a plane-to-plane transfer at an altitude of 15,000 feet.

The principal climbing doubles were Ron Kauk and Wolfgang Güllich. Following Güllich's passing in 1992, Kauk served as Stallone’s double, as Stallone himself avoided most climbing shots due to acrophobia. Reports indicate that Stallone’s hand injury occurred on a soundstage rather than during location filming.

Regarding the director’s cut, Stallone acknowledged it received poor reviews because it showcased over-the-top stunts, including implausible long-distance jumps across canyons. Nevertheless, he commended the second unit team for their outstanding execution of most action sequences.

Music

The orchestral soundtrack for Cliffhanger was crafted by seasoned composer Trevor Jones and performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra. Christian Clemmensen from Filmtracks.com observed notable similarities to Jones’ earlier score for The Last of the Mohicans, particularly highlighting the title theme’s resemblance. Despite this, he rated the score four out of five stars, describing it as an impressive composition and a compelling accompaniment to the film’s action scenes. The original soundtrack was released by Scotti Bros./BMG Music on 23 May 1993, with a deluxe edition issued by Intrada Records on 21 February 2011.

Cut version

For its theatrical release in the UK, Cliffhanger underwent edits exceeding one minute to achieve a '15' rating. An additional 16 seconds were removed from subsequent video and DVD versions. Notable removals included a violent altercation where Delmar attacks Tucker, alongside profane language and other intense moments. The 2008 DVD edition preserved this '15' classification without further cuts.

Home media

In December 1993, Cliffhanger became available for rental on VHS across the United States. The film made its DVD debut on November 26, 1997, followed by a Collector's Edition reissue by Columbia TriStar Home Video on June 13, 2000. Unlike other Carolco productions now owned by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Cliffhanger remains under Sony Pictures’ ownership in North America. The Blu-ray release first appeared in the UK on August 4, 2008, then reached Australia and Mexico in 2009 via Optimum Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment under StudioCanal distribution. The US Blu-ray was released on January 12, 2010, with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version arriving on January 15, 2019. To mark its 25th anniversary, remastered editions were reissued between 2018 and 2019 in Australia and the UK as part of Classics Remastered and Brand New Restoration collections. Furthermore, it was packaged alongside Last Action Hero in a Blu-ray double feature released on November 2, 2021.

Box office

During its debut weekend, Cliffhanger earned $20.5 million, securing the top spot at the box office ahead of titles such as Sliver, Super Mario Bros., Made in America, and Dave. The movie achieved significant commercial success, accumulating $255 million globally. Its earnings included $84 million from the United States and Canada, $14 million from the United Kingdom, and $13 million from Germany. Remarkably, it maintained the number one position in Japan’s box office for 11 straight weeks.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Cliffhanger holds a 68% approval rating based on 55 critiques, with an average rating of 6.2/10, often described as a gripping and action-filled thriller that highlights Sylvester Stallone’s capabilities. On Metacritic, it received a score of 60 out of 100 from 16 reviewers. Audience feedback via CinemaScore assigned the film a "B" grade.

The movie was screened out of competition at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and garnered three Academy Awards nominations: Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects, though all were won by Jurassic Park. It also attracted several nominations at the 14th Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Supporting Actor.

Critics offered varied opinions: Roger Ebert gave it 3 out of 4 stars, commending the mountain climbing sequences as "truly sensational," whereas Gene Siskel criticized both the script and acting. Additional criticism targeted John Lithgow’s English accent and unrealistic depictions of mountaineering, such as a fictional firearm capable of shooting pitons directly into rock surfaces.

Novelization

In 1993, a novelization titled Cliffhanger, authored by Jeff Rovin, was published based on the film’s storyline.

Video game

A video game adaptation of the film was launched across various gaming platforms on November 17, 1993.

Cancelled sequel and reboot

TriStar announced in 1994 a follow-up titled Cliffhanger 2: The Dam, with Sylvester Stallone returning as Gabe Walker. The narrative centered on terrorists taking control of the Hoover Dam. Development stalled until a brief revival in 2008 involving Stallone before being shelved once more. By May 2009, a reimagined version was underway as a collaboration between Original Film and StudioCanal, produced by Neal H. Moritz, focusing on young climbers and inspired by J.J. Abrams’ vision for Star Trek. Joe Gazzam was brought on as screenwriter in 2014 after pitching his concept to Moritz. Stallone showed interest in a direct sequel in 2015.

In May 2019, the project shifted toward a female-led retelling directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, with Sascha Penn rewriting the screenplay. Early discussions included Jason Momoa for a cameo role; producers Toby Jaffe, Thorsten Schumacher, and Lars Sylvest joined the team. The story was framed as a survival thriller infused with espionage elements. A promotional poster debuted at Cannes, with filming slated for 2020 and plans for multiple installments.

By May 2023, the production transitioned into a legacy sequel format with Ric Roman Waugh replacing Amirpour as director and Mark Bianculli developing a new script. Stallone reprised his role as Gabe Walker and took on producer duties. The storyline follows Walker’s ongoing adventures in the Italian Alps. Casting efforts for principal roles were underway. Waugh expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with Stallone to elevate the franchise. Producers included Moritz, Jaffe, Schumacher, Sylvest, and Braden Aftergood. This partnership involved Original Film, Balboa Productions, StudioCanal, Rocket Science Films, Wright Productions & Entertainment, and Front Row Entertainment. Funding and distribution negotiations took place at Cannes.

In December 2023, direction changed hands to Jean-François Richet, with additional studios joining such as FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Black Magic Films, Supernix, Maze Pictures, and Occupant Entertainment. Philipp Kreuzer and Joe Neurauter assumed producing roles; principal photography was planned for summer 2024.

As of October 2024, creative direction shifted again transforming the intended sequel into a reboot without Stallone’s involvement. Leading roles were cast with Lily James alongside Pierce Brosnan, Nell Tiger Free, Franz Rogowski, among others. Filming commenced on October 31 in Austria.

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