“Cliffhanger,” a reimagining of the Sylvester Stallone climbing thriller starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan, is shoring up a new strategy for its summer theatrical release, multiple insiders told Variety.
The fate of the film, helmed by action director Jaume Collet-Sera (“Carry On”), has been a lingering question in the industry since March. That’s when its upstart distributor Row K saw the exit of top creative executives and speculation about money trouble after only eight months of operation.
The Row K team has been working closely with CAA Media Finance, the packager and sales agent on the IP for almost a decade, to find a strategy that guarantees maximum return. They may have found it with Tom Quinn’s Neon – per four sources – who would handle the domestic release of “Cliffhanger” through its sub-label Decal on its scheduled August opening date. Should the deal close, which is still a maybe, Decal would also handle all ancillary business for the film — including foreign sales and other subsequent windows.
Decal is run by executive Andrew Brown, and was originally conceived as a joint home entertainment venture between Neon and fellow indie releaser Bleecker Street. Brown joined Neon as president of digital distribution in 2022, and has handled releases for many films outside of the in-house slate since.
Row K came on fast and furious around last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, scooping up multiple titles for North America, including Maude Apatow’s “Poetic License,” Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire” and the indie romance “Charlie Harper.” The company, founded by Christopher Woodrow and Raj Singh, took a major loss on the release of “Dead Man” and dominoes began to fall as a consequence, Variety reported in March.
Apatow’s movie is expected to announce a new home in the coming months. It’s unclear if Row K will move forward with “Charlie Harper,” which is not yet dated. Credit where it’s due — leadership at Row K’s corporate parent Media Capital Technologies were present in Cannes, and even hosted a splashy cocktail party. They don’t seem to be cowering after a rough start, and are seeking creative consultants for their slate.