The belatedCliffhanger 2could give Sylvester Stallone a much needed boost after a stretch of bad luck with franchises. During Hollywood’s so-called Golden Age, movie stars avoided sequels, with most finding them inferior attempts to cash in on a hit. During the 1970s,Stallone was one of the first actors to recognize the value of building a franchise for himself, so when his post-Rockymovies flopped, he soon returned withRocky 2. That’s not to say he didn’t find value in dipping back into theRockymovie franchiseand fleshing out new chapters in the boxer’s life, however.
It was when Stallone hit big with theRambomovies that he became the king of sequels, and could typically rely on a new sequel in either series to boost his box-office numbers. OtherSylvester Stallone franchisesincludeThe ExpendablesandEscape Plan, andover 30 years after the original, Sly will return as Gabe Walker in a sequel toCliffhanger. Plot details for the follow-up are largely under wraps, though it is said Gabe’s daughter will play a big role in the story.
Cliffhanger 2 Could Release In 2025 After Latest Filming Update
The Stallone Sequel Is Set To Start Filming Very Soon
According to a report fromScreenDaily,Cliffhanger 2will start filming in Fall 2024in locations around Austria and Bavaria. The sequel’s previously announced director Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen) has dropped out and will be replaced byPlane’sJean-Francois Richet. Over the years, Stallone has expressed interest in returning to several other one-off hits likeTango & CashorCobra, butCliffhangeris one of the safer bets. With the sequel heading before cameras in the Fall,a late 2025 release window forthe upcomingCliffhanger 2feels like a realistic goal.
The Renny Harlin-directed original restored Stallone to the top of the box office after a run of bombs likeStop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. The “Die Hard on a Mountain” film has aged very well too, thanks to a mix of practical location filming and stuntwork, in addition to John Lithgow’s delightfully smarmy turn as the villain.Stallone will be around 78 by the timeCliffhanger 2begins filming too, so it will be interesting to see how active Gabe will be in the next outing.
Cliffhanger 2 & Levon’s Trade Could Give Sylvester Stallone A Big Year
It has yet to be confirmed thatCliffhanger 2will arrive in 2025, but one Stallone project that definitely will isLevon’s Trade. Stallone’sExpendablesco-star Jason Statham takes the lead in this thriller, playing a retired Black Ops agent who returns to his old ways when his boss' daughter goes missing.Stallone won’t appear inLevon’s Tradebut penned the adaptation based on the novel of the same nameby Chuck Dixon.
Stallone previously penned the 2013 action thrillerHomefrontfor Jason Statham.
Statham will reteam with hisBeekeeperhelmer David Ayer on the film, with their previous collaboration having scored a healthy $152 million in early 2024 (viaThe Numbers).Levon’s Tradestands a good chance of matching or surpassing that tally, and could even lead to a new series itself. WithLevon’s TradeandCliffhanger 2looking likely for 2025 releases, Stallone could be on course for a healthy year at the box office.
Sylvester Stallone Needs A Big Year In Theaters
Stallone Has Lost His Three Biggest Franchises In Recent Years
For Stallone,Rocky,RamboandThe Expendableshave been reliable sagas to revisit, but that has changed in recent times. The star walked away from theCreedmovies and the Rocky character following a dispute with producers. He retired the titular character in 2019’sRambo: Last Blood, which proved to be a critical and commercial disappointment.The Expendables 4was a huge box-office bomb too, grossing around half its production budget and receiving terrible reviews.
As a leading man, Stallone needs an unambiguous hit, andCliffhanger 2could provide it.
While he’s had successes with theGuardians of the Galaxysequels, Stallone’s role in both were glorified cameos. Sly also has smaller projects in the works likeArmoredorAlarumwith Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher), though both will likely head direct to streaming.As a leading man, Stallone needs an unambiguous hit, andCliffhanger 2could provide it. If it works, maybe that long-mootedDemolition Mansequel can finally happen too.
How David Bowie Was Almost Cast In Sylvester Stallone’s $255M Action Classic Recalled By Director
Director Renny Harlin recalls how Golden Globe nominee David Bowie was almost cast as the villain in Sylvester Stallone’s $255 million action classic.
There are even whispers of a potentialRambo 6, though the star sounds done with the character. More than anything,it would be nice to see Stallone score a hit after a few years of bad luck, and especially after his role was downgraded inThe Expendables 4for no particular reason. He hasn’t had a really solid critical and commercial success since 2015’sCreedeither. MaybeCliffhanger 2could even lead to a third entry, though it hopefully won’t take another 30 years to come together.
$37 million
13%
70%
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3(2023)
$845 million
82%
94%
38%
71%
$91 million
26%
81%
$1.7 million
25%
11%
Cliffhanger 2
Cast
Cliffhanger 2 is the sequel to the 1993 action-adventure film starring Sylvester Stallone. The film will see Stallone return as an older mountaineer along with his daughter, who has begun following in his footsteps.
