Tom Hiddleston is set to star as Sir Edmund Hillary in Apple Original Films' Tenzing about Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who guided the New Zealand explorer to Mount Everest's summit in 1953, Variety reported.
The production is currently casting for actors to play the sherpa. Willem Dafoe will play the English leader Colonel John Hunt.
Apple came out the winner in a “competitive situation for the film's rights of day 3 of Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film.
Tom Hiddleston summits Mount Everest as Sir Edmund Hillary
The movie's logline reads: “Tibetan born Tenzing Norgay, alongside New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, both outsiders on a British Expedition, defied insurmountable odds to achieve what was once thought impossible, reaching the summit of the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest.”
“After six previous attempts, Tenzing risked everything for one final venture. He had to navigate treacherous politics and perilous weather as he embarked on the most significant climb of his life. Through it all, he did so with humor, warmth, and generosity towards his fellow climbers, but also deep reverence and respect for the sacred Mother Goddess of his Mountain, Chomolungma,” the logline continued.
The film will be directed by Jennifer Peedom from Luke Davies' screenplay. The movie is produced by See Saw Films, a UK-Australian production company.
Peedom directed the BAFTA-nominated 2015 documentary Sherpa, about the sherpas of Mount Everest in 2014 when the largest avalanche in recent history killed 16 sherpas. The project was the start of the filmmaker's relationship with the Tenzing family.
1953 British Mount Everest expedition
Edmund Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer and philanthropist. On May 29, 1953 he and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first confirmed climbers to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British Everest expedition, which was led by John Hunt.
Nepalese-Indian Tenzing was born Namgyal Wangdi had already been to Everest six times and Hunt three. The expedition was composed of 400 people: 362 porters and 20 Sherpa guides. The group also had 4,500 kilograms of baggage.
When Hillary met Tenzing, he made every attempt to forge a working friendship with the Sherpa. In his journals, he wrote, “Tenzing had substantially greater personal ambition than any Sherpa I had met.”
Hunt replaced Eric Shipton, who had led the previous failed British-Swiss Himalayan reconnaissance, as expeditionary leader.
Hiddleston was last seen on the massive Marvel hit series Loki last year. He will reprise his role as Jonathan Pine in the upcoming second season of The Night Manager.
Four-time Academy Award winner Dafoe was last seen in the critically acclaimed film Poor Things. He'll next be seen in the much awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The actor will also reunite with Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos and co-star Emma Stone in the upcoming movie Kinds of Kindness. He will also star in the Robert Eggers horror film Nosferatu.
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