With over 49 million YouTube views in under two years, the documentary Kaizen, which chronicled young YouTuber Inoxtag's ascent of the world's highest peak, became a phenomenon in France. Did it inspire the film industry? While that might be a bold claim, Everest has been a subject of documentaries for over a century, from recent titles like Sherpa and High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 to L’épopée de l’Everest (released way back in 1924) and Mort sur le toit du monde (1997).
The Himalayan summit has been filmed from countless angles, but its story has rarely been told in a fictionalized format. The most well-known film is Baltasar Kormákur's impressive Everest, released in 2015 with a stellar cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, and Jason Clarke, which depicted the tragic ascent of May 1996. Now, joining its ranks is Tenzing: À la conquête de l’Everest by Jennifer Peedom, focusing on the first successful ascent of the mountain in 1953. Apple TV has just unveiled the film's trailer.
Conquering the Summit
As detailed in the film's press release, Tenzing will follow "a determined man embarking on a perilous adventure – and braving seemingly insurmountable obstacles – to achieve his dream of being the first to reach the summit of Everest." Contrary to what one might assume, this man in the synopsis is not Edmund Hillary, the renowned New Zealand alpinist knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, but rather Tenzing Norgay, the Himalayan mountaineer who accompanied him on this epic journey.
The film will recount Norgay's lesser-known struggle to formally join the 1953 British expedition, not merely as a sherpa or assistant, but as a recognized alpinist. Tenzing will likely highlight this incredible journey, encompassing the tensions within the team, the inherent dangers of the mountain, and Norgay's profound spirituality. This is certainly what the trailer promises, with its breathtaking visuals of imposing, snow-covered landscapes.
The presumed beauty of the film comes as no surprise, given that Jennifer Peedom is at the helm. While her name might not be instantly familiar to everyone, the Australian filmmaker is intimately acquainted with Everest, having directed two documentaries on the subject: Mountain (2017) and Sherpa (2015), which we mentioned earlier.
Taking on the role of Tenzing Norgay is Chinese actor Genden Phuntsok, supported by a constellation of Hollywood stars: Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary, Willem Dafoe as John Hunt (the colonel and expedition leader), and Caitríona Balfe, known for her leading role in Outlander, as expedition secretary Jill Henderson, whose influence was pivotal in integrating Tenzing Norgay into the team.
In the United States, the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on October 9. Unfortunately for French audiences, the film will be exclusively available on Apple TV starting October 16.