Lily James in 'Cliffhanger'

Source: Cliffhanger production

Lily James in ‘Cliffhanger’

Row K Entertainment has made its third acquisition since launching in late August, taking US rights to the Cliffhanger action remake starring Pierce Brosnan and Lily James in what it said was an eight-figure deal resulting from a “highly competitive situation”.

The transaction marks the third for Row K to stem from a productive Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for the fledgling distributor backed by Media Capital Technologies and led by president Megan Colligan. It previously acquired Dead Man’s Wire and Charlie Harper.

Row K saw a market screening of the film and plans a 2026 release on 3,000 screens for Jaume Collet-Serra’s reimagining of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone tentpole, which is currently in post and based on a screenplay by Ana Lily Amirpour, Sasha Penn, Mark Bianculli, and Melanie Toast.

The story centres on a seasoned mountaineer and his daughter who run a luxury chalet in the Dolomites. When a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son is targeted by kidnappers, the daughter, haunted by a previous climbing accident, must confront her fears and save her family.

Lars Sylvest of Thank You Pictures, Joe Neurauter of Supernix, Thorsten Schumacher of Rocket Science, and Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe served as producers. Row K negotiated the deal with CAA Media Finance, and Rocket Science represents international rights. 

Colligan said: “The original Cliffhanger was celebrated for its mountain cinematography, and this reimagining honours that legacy with sweeping backdrops across Europe – the result is a stunning production built for theatres.”

Stallone is not involved in the reboot. The original earned $84m back in 1993, or roughly $188m in today’s terms. The $255m global haul translates to $572m when adjusted for inflation.

Earlier this week Row K announced it had hired Mo Rhim as chief revenue officer, Ben Carlson as chief marketing officer, and Steve Garrett as head of distribution and acquisitions.

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