While Ana Lily Amirpour plots a reboot of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone / Renny Harlin mountain climbing action flick CLIFFHANGER that is expected to have a female lead, Netflix has just forked over an amount said to be in the "high six figures" to acquire a project called FIRST ASCENT, another mountain climbing film that will have a female lead.
Written by Colin Bannon, FIRST ASCENT is being described as "THE SHINING meets FREE SOLO". The script is featured on the Black List and tells the following story:
Two years after a free solo accident nearly kills Hillary Hall, she enlists the help of her old climbing partners to document her comeback — the first ascent of a 4000 foot “virgin” rock wall in China. During the harrowing summit, Hillary struggles with her inner demons and supernatural forces, as it slowly becomes clear that this mountain does not want to be conquered.
Jake Scott will be directing the film. Scott is an avid climber who was taught how to climb by his uncle Tony Scott when he was 14 and has gone on to climb some of the biggest mountains in the world. Because of this, he "felt he was perfectly suited to helm this film".
Scott Free's Ridley Scott (Jake's father), Kevin Walsh, and Michael Pruss will be producing FIRST ASCENT with Sukee Chew of Hopscotch Pictures.
Jake Scott is primarily known for directing music videos for the likes of R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, Live, Radiohead, Cypress Hill, Tori Amos, No Doubt, George Michael, The Strokes, Pink, U2, The Cranberries, Bush, Tracy Bonham, Tina Turner… the list goes on and on. His previous features are PLUNKETT & MACLEANE, WELCOME TO THE RILEYS, and AMERICAN WOMAN.
I already find the concept of mountain climbing to be terrifying, so I don't even need the addition of supernatural forces to be unnerved by this one.