EXCLUSIVE: After the hot new distributor at TIFF last year, Row K, imploded, many films that the label scooped up at the fest were left homeless; one of the big titles they supposed shelled out eight figures for was Jaume Collet-Serra’s reboot of 1993’s Cliffhanger starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan. In a complete surprise, Vertical has risen to be the title’s savior, taking U.S. rights as the buzz around Cannes was that Neon’s new Decal label was acquiring the action adventure film.
Vertical is targeting a spring 2027 wide theatrical release for the pic.
The news comes at a time when James is starring in a buzzy festival title, The Liberation, alongside Carrie Coon and Bella Ramsey, which world premiered at Telluride and is now playing TIFF which Deadine’s Pete Hammond exclaims is an “edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller,” calling James “bewitching”. Bleecker Street is releasing the movie on Jan. 8, 2027.
The deal for Cliffhanger was negotiated by Jarowey, SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi and Manager of Acquisitions Rachel White on behalf of Vertical and by CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers. Rocket Science has international sales.
Cliffhanger is set high in the breathtaking but treacherous Dolomites where legendary mountaineer Ray Cooper (Pierce Brosnan) runs a secluded luxury chalet with his daughters, Naomi (Lily James) and Sydney (Nell Tiger Free). When a billionaire’s son arrives for a weekend getaway, a ruthless gang launches a daring kidnapping, taking Ray hostage and leaving Sydney in the crossfire. Haunted by a devastating climbing accident, Naomi must conquer her fear of the mountains and turn the terrain against her enemies in a relentless race to save her family.
Based on the 1993 Sylvester Stallone summer hit movie which grossed over $255M WW, the latest Cliffhanger was penned by Mark Bianculli and Melanie Toast based on a story by Sacha Penn and Bianculli. Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Franz Rogowski (Passages), Shubham Saraf (Shantaram), Assaad Bouab (Franklin), Suzy Bemba (Poor Things), and Bruno Gouery (Emily in Paris) also star. Producers include Lars Sylvest of Thank You Pictures, Thorsten Schumacher of Rocket Science, Joe Neurauter and Philipp Kreuzer of Supernix, and Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe.
“Cliffhanger is the perfect combination of an iconic title, a world-class filmmaker, an incredible cast, and edge-of-your-seat spectacle that demands to be experienced on the big screen,” Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey told Deadline. “Jaume Collet-Serra has created a relentless, visually stunning thriller that takes everything audiences love about the original and delivers it with a fresh, modern intensity. With Lily James and Pierce Brosnan leading an exceptional cast, we’re thrilled to bring this next chapter of Cliffhanger to theaters in 2027.”
Row K acquired several movies out of TIFF last year including Maude Apatow’s feature directorial debut Poetic License, Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, Cliffhanger and the Emilia Jones-Nick Robinson title Charlie Harper. Following the January theatrical bombing of Dead Man’s Wire, Row K realized the indie feature distribution was challenging with a number of their executives exiting. Word was that they had never even closed on several of these acquisitions (though the trades announce them, it’s often a lengthy papering process). Poetic License was scooped up by Sony Pictures Classics. Charlie Harper per Rentrak still sits at Row K with a Sept. 25 theatrical release.