Sylvester Stallone’s Cliffhanger broke the record for the most expensive stunt in the history of cinema. This dangerous acrobatic was quite death-defying that the insurance company refused to cover the expenses and protection of the stuntman.
For someone who has a fear of heights, Stallone was quite the daredevil. The actor admitted taking on the project in hopes of conquering his acrophobia. With only the help of a harness, trust in the gears, and faith in himself, the Creed star made the film possible.
Deadly Stunt In Sylvester Stallone’s Cliffhanger Cost Him $1M
Cliffhanger came out in 1993, and although critics were not generous with their praises for the film, it made a decent profit at the box office. The movie also brought home three Oscar nominations and surpassed Die Hard 2’s worldwide gross, so it is only fair to say it was a success.
In an interview with The Telegraph, British stuntman Simon Crane shared his experience performing the most talked about stunt in history. Although the movie was set in the Dolomite Mountains, the stunt was filmed in the United States because it is prohibited in Europe. Crane had to jump from one jet to another at 15,000 feet:
“It was extremely cold at that altitude and speed – minus 40 or 50. I had to be covered with a prosthetic mask. I was also wearing a gas mask and an SAS survival suit, with a hidden parachute. But my hands were covered so it was difficult to get to the release in an emergency. A hidden parachute is always dangerous because it has to open through your costume.”
The stunt was named by the Guinness Book of Records as the costliest aerial stunt ever, forcing Sylvester Stallone to shell out $1 million from his own pocket because the insurance company refused to cover it.
Crane had difficulty performing the dangerous stunt. He failed to land on the second jet and eventually tossed himself over the roof:
“The idea was that the other jet comes in behind in formation, the door opens, and they grab the weight and pull me in. But they missed the weight. It went over the wing of the plane and underneath the engine. I missed the door, hit the side of the plane, and bounced onto the roof. Luckily, I just missed the engines…”
The stuntman managed to pull his parachute safely. He suggested doing another take, but since it almost killed him, the idea was refused. Instead, the editing team did their best to make it look like he landed successfully. He told Yahoo UK:
“They sort of got the shot even though I didn’t end up in the other plane. Because I sort of bounced towards the door, and then they had the actor going into the door on the [studio] stage. I was totally prepared to do it again, but they didn’t need to.”
Moreover, Crane said that the stunt did not look “special” to him, and the outtakes were much more terrifying than what the viewers saw on the screen.
Will A Cliffhanger Sequel Ever Happen?
A sequel to Cliffhanger was already brewing at TriStar Pictures and Carolco Pictures. The Dam, which was described as something like “Die Hard in a dam,” would see Sylvester Stallone fighting terrorists. It never went off the ground, even after the Rocky star attempted to revive the idea in 2008.
If the second installment ever gets the green light, it would most likely involve CGI effects that won’t risk someone’s life. Cliffhanger remains one of the most impressive stunt-filled movies of all time, and it would be too much pressure for Stallone to even attempt to surpass that through a sequel.