Cliffhanger (film)

Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action thriller film directed and co-produced by Renny Harlin and co-written by and starring Sylvester Stallone alongside John Lithgow, Michael Rooker and Janine Turner. Based on a concept by climber John Long, the film follows Gabe (Stallone), a mountain climber who becomes embroiled in a heist of a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains. The film premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on May 28, 1993, by TriStar Pictures. It received positive reviews and earned $255 million worldwide, becoming the 7th highest-grossing film of 1993.

Plot
Mountain rescue rangers Gabriel "Gabe" Walker, his girlfriend Jessie Deighan, and Frank attempt to rescue their fellow ranger, Hal Tucker, and his girlfriend, Sarah, stranded in the Colorado Rockies. Sarah's harness fails and she falls to her death, and Hal blames a guilt-stricken Gabe, who leaves the ranger service.

Eight months later, Gabe returns to collect his belongings and to persuade Jessie to leave with him. Meanwhile, psychopathic former military intelligence operative Eric Qualen orchestrates the robbery of over $100 million in three suitcases of uncirculated bills. Turncoat U.S. Treasury agent Richard Travers hijacks the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 carrying the money, shooting his fellow agents and attempting to transfer the cases in midair to Qualen and his mercenaries aboard a Lockheed JetStar. A wounded agent shoots at the thieves before the DC-9 is blown up, forcing the JetStar to crash land in the Rockies and scattering the cases across the mountainside.

Hal remains bitter over Sarah's death, and responds to a fake distress call from the mercenaries, while Jessie convinces Gabe to help. He and Hal are taken prisoner by Qualen, Travers, and their accomplices Kristel, Kynette, Delmar, Ryan, and Heldon. Using Travers' beacon locator, Hal and Gabe are ordered to track down the first case atop a steep rock face. Gabe is tethered and forced to climb and retrieve the case, but Hal warns that Qualen will kill him, and Gabe severs his rope before he can be yanked down. Heldon opens fire and is killed by the ensuing avalanche, which leads Qualen to believe the case is lost and Gabe is dead.

As Hal is forced to lead the mercenaries onward, Gabe races ahead and finds Jessie at an old ranger station. They recover mountaineering gear and reach the second case before Qualen arrives at nightfall, burning the money to stay warm and leaving him a taunting message, "Want to trade?" Using night-vision goggles, Ryan spots Gabe and Jessie, but Gabe blinds him with a flare and sends him over a cliff to his death. In the morning, Gabe and Jessie race to beat Qualen to the last case, while Hal tries to warn away two young climbers, Evan and Brett, before Qualen's men open fire. Brett is killed, but a wounded Evan base jumps off the mountain and parachutes to safety.

Frank, scouting the mountain by helicopter in search of his fellow rangers, rescues Evan. Kynette confronts Gabe in a brutal fistfight in a cave, but Gabe impales him on a stalactite. Hal alerts him that the gang has rigged explosives above the cave, and Gabe and Jessie narrowly escape. The mercenaries flag down Frank in his rescue helicopter, and Delmar fatally shoots him. When Travers attempts to betray the others, Qualen forces him to stay by killing Kristel, leaving Qualen as their only pilot.

As the mercenaries split up to look for the last case, Hal kills Delmar and escapes, while Gabe recovers the money from the last case. He plants the tracking beacon on a rabbit to frustrate an increasingly unhinged Travers, who rants at Qualen by walkie-talkie, allowing the authorities to track their position. Pursued by Travers, Gabe falls into a frozen river but kills Travers through the ice with a climbing-bolt gun, and is rescued by Hal.

Jessie signals to the rescue helicopter, believing it to be Frank, and is taken hostage by Qualen, who demands that Gabe and Hal surrender the money. Meeting high atop the cliffs, Qualen frees Jessie, but Gabe throws the bag of money into the helicopter's rotors, shredding the cash, and tethers the helicopter's winch cable to a cliffside ladder. Hal helps shoot down the helicopter, which hangs over the cliff with Gabe and Qualen atop the wreckage. Gabe fights off Qualen and climbs to safety as the wreckage falls off the cliff, killing Qualen. The authorities arrive as Gabe reunites with Jessie and Hal.

Development and writing
Carolco Pictures had originally signed Sylvester Stallone to appear opposite John Candy in a comedy about feuding neighbors titled Bartholomew Vs. Neff, which was going to be written and directed by John Hughes. When that project was dropped, Stallone became involved in two other Carolco projects.

The first one was the futuristic science-fiction horror film Isobar, which was about a genetically-created monster who breaks free on a high-speed runaway train: between 1987, when Carolco first bought the original script by Jim Uhls for $400,000, and 1991, directors Ridley Scott and Roland Emmerich were each at different points in time attached to direct the film which would have had a $90 million budget with Stallone and Kim Basinger playing the main roles; however, due to disagreements between them and Carolco and producer Joel Silver about the script changes and lack of artistic freedom, both Scott and Emmerich gave up on the project, which in the end was cancelled.

The second Carolco project in which Stallone was involved was an action disaster thriller entitled Gale Force, described as "Die Hard in a hurricane", which Renny Harlin was going to direct, and in which Stallone would play an ex-Navy SEAL who has to fight against a group of modern pirates who attack a coastal town during a large, catastrophic hurricane. The first version of the script for the film was written by David Chappe in 1984, who then wrote six more drafts between 1987 and 1989, and after his final draft received some praise and following the bidding war between several studios for it in 1989, Carolco bought his final draft for $500,000, with a promise of an additional $200,000 if the movie were made. Harlin was paid $3 million for directing the film, but because his contract also gave him full control of the project, he demanded many re-writes of the script to, amongst other things, increase the number of action sequences and make them bigger. Between 1990 and 1991 while they were working on the project, Carolco spent over $4 million on all the different screenwriters and versions of the script. One of the screenwriters who worked on it, Joe Eszterhas, was paid $500,000 to write his version. He re-wrote it as an erotic thriller, similar to his previous screenplays, so it was rejected.

Carolco, believing the intended $40 million budget would be too big, and unable to figure out how to make special effects for the film, cancelled that project two weeks before production was supposed to begin; but Harlin still kept his $3 million, and he and Stallone and everyone else involved in it then moved on to Cliffhanger, another Carolco project, which had a budget of $70 million, almost double that of Gale Force.

Harlin wanted David Bowie for the role of Qualen but he couldn't work it out with his schedule, the role eventually went to John Lithgow.

Reviewers have suggested that the 1956 dramatic film The Mountain provided some of the inspiration for Cliffhanger, which has multiple specific similarities.

Before production began, Stallone rewrote Michael France's script: his work changed the film significantly enough that Carolco petitioned the Writers Guild of America for him to get credit.

Half of the film's budget was provided by TriStar Pictures in exchange for distribution rights in North America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and France. Seed funding was provided by Carolco shareholders Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera, Le Studio Canal+, and Pioneer Electric Corporation. The balance of the production costs were obtained through a production loan provided by a syndicate of banks led by Credit Lyonnais Bank Nederland (CLBN). The credit of US$ 46,553,000 was, at the time, one of the largest project loan facilities ever to be made for the production of an independent film, and was fully repaid from the movie’s distribution proceeds.

The financing arrangement was the result of Carolco's serious debt issues, and as a result, the studio would ultimately receive very little of the box office gross. During principal photography, production was shut down twice when Carolco could not afford to pay the crew; the movie went $40 million over budget. Stallone reportedly had to forego $2 million of his $15 million salary as a result.

Filming
The large majority of the film's scenes were shot in the Dolomites in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. For example, the bridge scene was shot on Monte Cristallo in the via ferrata VF Ivano Dibona, which was reconstructed immediately after the movie. The climbing was mostly on the Tofane cliffs, and in some scenes toward the end of the movie the audience clearly sees the three Tofane, the Croda da Lago, and the town of Cortina; the location of this is on top of Mount Faloria, at the arrival of the funivia Faloria. In other scenes are the sentiero ferrato Astaldi, over the Rifugio Dibona. The small house has been constructed on the sand of the river Boite, in Fiames, close to the heliport. Some filming took place in Durango, Colorado. The credits of the film also thank the Ute Tribe for filming in the Ute Mountain reservation.

Cliffhanger is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the costliest aerial stunt ever performed. Stuntman Simon Crane was paid $1 million to perform the aerial transfer scene, where he crossed between two planes at an altitude of 15000 ft.

The principal climbing doubles were Ron Kauk and Wolfgang Güllich. Kauk performed as Stallone's climbing double after Güllich died in a car accident in 1992. The doubles filled in for Stallone on most of the climbing scenes due to the actor's fear of heights; an injury to Stallone's hand, reported to have occurred on one of the cliffs, actually occurred on a soundstage.

When asked about the director's cut, Stallone explained that "the director's cut was met with a lot of disapproval at the screening and received some alarmingly low scores. Mainly because the stunts were absurdly overblown. For example, the average man can jump maybe twelve feet across a gorge, and the stunts had me leaping maybe three hundred feet or more, so situations like that had to be pared down and still then were fairly extreme...so you're probably better off with this cut. By the way, the second unit crew that filmed the majority of the action was extraordinary."

Music
The orchestral score to Cliffhanger was composed by film score veteran Trevor Jones with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In his review for the Cliffhanger soundtrack, Filmtracks.com reviewer Christian Clemmensen mentioned its similarities to Jones' previous work on The Last of the Mohicans, stating: "with Cliffhanger would come a title theme strikingly similar to that of Last of the Mohicans, possibly too reminiscent in fact for some listeners to tolerate." However, his review was still positive, giving the Cliffhanger score four out of a possible five stars, concluding, "No matter your view of whether or not composers should recycle their own material, Jones' main identity for Cliffhanger stands on its own as a remarkable piece, and an often enjoyable action underscore will maintain your interest in between the theme's statements." The soundtrack has been released twice; through Scotti Bros./BMG Music on 23 May 1993 and an extended version through Intrada Records on 21 February 2011.

Cut version
For its British cinema release, the film was cut by over a minute, then by a further 16 seconds on video and DVD to gain a '15' certificate. Chief victim was the scene in which Delmar beats up Tucker, but other cuts included aggressive strong language and other moments of violence. However, the 2008 DVD release was given a '15' with no cuts made.

Home media
Cliffhanger was released on VHS for rental in the United States in December 1993. It was released on DVD on November 26, 1997 and re-released for the Collector's Edition on June 13, 2000 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. The film on Blu-ray was released first in United Kingdom on August 4, 2008, Australia and Mexico in 2009 by Optimum Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment under the StudioCanal banner,  and in the United States on January 12, 2010, and on 4K UltraHD Blu-ray on 15 January 2019. The film was re-released on Blu-ray in Australia and United Kingdom only from 2018 to 2019 for the film's 25th anniversary under the Classics Remastered and Brand New Restoration. The film was re-released with Last Action Hero on Blu-ray 2-Movie Collection on November 2, 2021.

Box office
Cliffhanger grossed $20.5 million during its opening weekend, ranking in first place at the box office ahead of Sliver, Super Mario Bros., Made in America and Dave. The film was a box office hit grossing $255 million worldwide. The film grossed $84 million in the United States and Canada, $14 million in the United Kingdom and $13 million in Germany. It spent 11 consecutive weeks at the top of the Japanese box office.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 68% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While it can't escape comparisons to the movies it borrows from, Cliffhanger is a tense, action-packed thriller and a showcase for the talents that made Sylvester Stallone a star." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 60 out of 100 based on reviews from 16 critics. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

The film was screened out of competition at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Sound (Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer, and Tim Cooney), Best Sound Effects Editing (Gregg Baxter), and Best Visual Effects, all losing to Jurassic Park.

It was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Worst Supporting Actress (Janine Turner), and Worst Screenplay at the 14th Golden Raspberry Awards. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. Although most people enjoyed Lithgow's performance, he was criticized for his inauthentic-sounding English accent, especially when next to native English actors Fairbrass and Goodall.

Michael Benge of Climbing magazine was critical of the film's unrealistic portrayal of mountaineering, including the fictional gun which fires pitons directly into rock.

Other media
A novelization based on the film by Jeff Rovin titled Cliffhanger, was released in 1993.

A video game based on the film was released via numerous game consoles on November 17, 1993.

Future
In 1994, TriStar announced plans to develop a sequel titled Cliffhanger 2: The Dam, with Stallone reprising his starring role. The plot revolved around Gabe Walker combating terrorists who took control of the Hoover Dam. The project remained in development hell until 2008, when the project was revived with Stallone's involvement, before once again being shelved. By May 2009, it was announced that reimagining was in development. Produced by Neal H. Moritz the project would be a joint-production between Original Film and StudioCanal. The story would focus around a group of young climbers, and was tentatively scheduled to begin principal photography the following year. Moritz stated that his intent is to adapt the story in a similar manner comparable to J.J. Abrams' work on Star Trek. By May 2014, Joe Gazzam was hired as screenwriter after pitching his approach to the story to Moritz who was impressed. By May 2015, Stallone expressed interest in developing a direct sequel to the original film. In May of 2019, the project developed into a female-led adaptation. Ana Lily Amirpour was hired as director, with a new draft of the script written by Sascha Penn. Jason Momoa was in early negotiations to feature in a prominent cameo role; while Mortiz brought on Toby Jaffe, Thorsten Schumacher, and Lars Sylvest as additional producers. The story was described as a survival thriller action movie, with elements of espionage. An official production poster was released for the project's presence at Cannes, with a tentative commencement for principal photography was set for 2020. Moritz stated that there are plans for more than one installment to be made.

In May 2023, it was officially announced that the project will be redeveloped as a legacy-sequel. Ric Roman Waugh will serve as director (replacing Amirpour), from a new script written by Mark Bianculli. Stallone will reprise his role from the original, in addition to taking on a role as producer. The plot will detail the continued adventures of climber-turned-rescue ranger Gabriel "Gabe" Walker alongside a supporting cast, and include the Italian Alps. Casting underway for additional ensemble lead and supporting roles. Waugh expressed excitement for the challenge of working with Stallone, stating: "Growing up with the biggest action films of the '80s and '90s, ...Cliffhanger was by far one of my favorite spectacles. To be at the helm of the next chapter, ...with the legend himself...is a dream come true. It's going to be a great challenge and blast taking this franchise to new heights, a responsibility I don't take lightly." Moritz, Jaffe, Schumacher, Sylvest, and Braden Aftergood will serve as additional producers. The project will be a joint-venture production between Original Film, Balboa Productions, StudioCanal, Rocket Science Films, Wright Productions & Entertainment, and Front Row Entertainment. The movie had a presence at Cannes, where additional funding and distribution would be decided. In December of the same year, it was announced that Jean-François Richet had replaced Waugh as director; while additional film studios joined the project including FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Black Magic Films, Supernix, Maze Pictures, and Occupant Entertainment. Philipp Kreuzer and Joe Neurauter will serve as additional producers, while principal photography is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2024.