Lily James was 'pounding press-ups between every take' while filming Cliffhanger

Lily James was "pounding press-ups between every take" while shooting her new action thriller Cliffhanger.

A reimagining of Sylvester Stallone's 1993 action classic, Cliffhanger stars the British actress as seasoned rock climber Naomi, who must save her family after they're targeted by a gang of kidnappers.

To prepare for the physically intense role, the Pam & Tommy star climbed for five hours a day for many weeks so she could be strong enough to do all of her own climbing in the movie.

"I had the time of my life. It was so hard. I did five hours of climbing a day for many weeks, and I had the most amazing teacher. I was on mountains nonstop. I fell completely in love with it. It's the most mind-body-soul activity. It's so deeply athletic, but also meditative," James told The Hollywood Reporter. "I did all my own climbing, and I got real strong. I was just pounding press-ups between every take."

The Cinderella actress, who has since become a mountain-climbing "addict", revealed that the film is currently being edited and she feels positive about what she's seen so far.

"I'm really proud of Cliffhanger. I'm so excited. We're in the edit and getting it ready, and I'm super hopeful," she shared. "It is such a cool reimagining, and while it's really unexpected at times, it keeps all the gripping glory of the original, I hope."

When the start of production was announced in October last year, director Jaume Collet-Serra praised James for her dedicated prep.

"Lily in particular has gone above and beyond for the role, putting in real training and learning to climb. Her dedication has allowed us to capture some incredible shots we couldn't have achieved otherwise, and the whole crew is blown away by her commitment," he told Variety.

Cliffhanger, which also stars Pierce Brosnan and Nell Tiger Free, is expected to be released in April 2026.