Screen Rant fans rejoice because Hollywood is proving once again that its finger is on the pulse of entertainment. They have apparently entered the “Throw It Against the Wall and See if it Sticks” phase.
Nothing proves this point better than the recent announcement for a remake reboot of the Renny Harlin/ Slyvester Stallone action film Cliffhanger.
Cliffhanger only managed a meager $16.1 million its opening weekend and topped out at $84 million for its entire 10 week run, just barely passing its $70 million budget. It did, however, manage to find an audience overseas raking in $170 million.
I’m not saying the first film wasn’t fun to watch but do all those combined numbers really justify a reboot? (Just by calling it the first film I am admitting to myself that there will inevitably be a second…sigh.)
The thing is, they aren’t even keeping the same story as before. They are changing the characters from Stallone’s lone mountain guide to a group of young climbers and going from the Rocky Mountains to “multiple cliff-face locations”. If you are going to do that why not just make it an original story and give it an original name?
Here, in his own words at the Cannes Festival, is producer Neil Moritz:
“Just as they rebooted Star Trek, we’re going to reboot Cliffhanger“.
Am I the only person wondering when Cliffhanger became a nine-movie, five-TV show series franchise? Did it reach cult status at some point in the last sixteen years and I somehow missed it?
Moritz is all too familiar with the concept of a remake. He has producing credits on Prom Night, and I Am Legend making him “highly qualified” (if that’s even possible) to work on this film. StudioCanal and Moritz’s Original Films will produce the reboot. People, I can’t make irony like that up!
There is currently no screenwriter attached to the project but plans are to begin filming in 2010 which would possibly lead to a 2011 release. We’ll update you as more information surfaces.
Although not confirmed, here’s how I think this idea was formed:
Hollywood Big Shot#1: “We’re supposed to have a really good movie idea to hype up during Cannes. So let’s get something together today.”
HBS#2: “How about a comic book movie? I’ve always been fond of those. My favorite was Slapstick by Marvel.”
HBS#3: “Nah comic book movies have been done to death. How about a live-action cartoon or video game movie? Something like Smurfs or Altered Beast? Robert De Niro can be Papa Smurf”
HBS#1: “No that’s too hard to write a script for, let’s just remake something. Everyone seems to be doing it so maybe we should jump on the bandwagon before it leaves?”
HSB#2: “What should we remake? A really old movie that can use an updating or something that was so bad we need to try again?”
HBS#3: “Let’s take something bad and try again like Eraser or Daylight”
HBS#2: “I like were your head is at but both of those movies are TOO bad to remake. How about Cliffhanger!?! “
HBS#1: “Ok so we go with Cliffhanger. I’ll make the announcement at Cannes this spring and call it a reboot. This is gonna be BIG!”
Besides the Hollywood moneybags, is anyone else looking forward to a Cliffhanger reboot?
