Cliffhanger is getting remade after Sylvester Stallone rejected sequel plans

Sylvester Stallone is not opposed to sequels. Quite the contrary, actually. Few actors have gotten more bang for their buck out of their iconic characters. Stallone has appeared in eight Rocky films and five Rambo films to date. He's not, however, going to reprise the lesser-known character of Gabe Walker.

Is Gabe Walker not ringing a bell? Don't worry, most people don't know the name of Stallone's character in the 1993 blockbuster Cliffhanger. The film was one of the actor's biggest non-sequel releases, so naturally Hollywood wants to go back to the well. Variety reported that Stallone was originally set to return as Walker for a sequel, but he chose to exit the sequel.

Cliffhanger 2 has been repurposed as a reboot

This decision fundamentally changed Cliffhanger 2. Instead of being a sequel, the film is being repurposed as a reboot of the original with brand new characters. Lily James and Pierce Brosnan have been tapped to headline the Cliffhanger reboot, while Jaume Collet-Serra will direct.

The reboot will ditch the Walker storyline while maintaining the original film's dangerous setting. The screenplay is based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour, and Variety alleges that the film is being sold as a father-daughter version of Die Hard, which is fitting, given that the original Cliffhanger was basically Die Hard in the mountains.

Lily James and Pierce Brosnan have never appeared onscreen together, but they do have franchise ties. Both actors appeared in the musical sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Got Again (2018), but James played the younger version of Brosnan's love interest via flashbacks.

Lily James is performing most of her own stunts

Other actors who are set to appear in the Cliffhanger reboot include Franz Rogowski, Assaad Bouab, Suzy Bemba and Bruno Gouery. The film is currently being shot in Austria, and director Jaume Collet-Serra praised the commitment of James in particular.

"[Lily] has gone above and beyond for the role, putting in real training and learning to climb," he told the outlet. "Her dedication has allowed us to capture some incredible shots." A Cliffhanger reboot in a Hollywood climate that just scored a massive hit with Twisters could be a recipe for success. We will have to wait and see.