Entertainment
Tom Hiddleston’s New Apple TV Biopic Officially Gets Breathtaking First Look [Exclusive]
History is full of remarkable duos that, through their partnerships, ingenuity, and perseverance, changed the course of the world or accomplished the seemingly impossible. From the Wright Brothers, who famously broke ground in the art of aviation through their creation of the first successful airplane, to Marie and Pierre Curie, who discovered the elements radium and polonium and earned Nobel Prizes for their research into radioactivity, these pairs pushed each other to greater heights and carved a spot for themselves in the annals of time in the process. Even in creative pursuits, the greatest partners are often immortalized, like John Lennon and Paul McCarthy or Simon & Garfunkel. However, one particular pair of groundbreakers has often been misrepresented.
In 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary became the first two human beings to reach the summit of Mount Everest as part of a British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. It was the culmination of years of attempts to conquer the highest mountain above sea level on Earth and the result of seven weeks of grueling climbing by the entire team. Yet, while the two men shared the moment, Hillary got most of the credit in the end for doing something Norgay had nearly done six times before finally accomplishing his dream. Apple TV‘s new biopic Tenzing now aims to set the record straight with a cinematically breathtaking and emotional recreation of Norgay’s journey from wide-eyed kid to Sherpa climbing guide and, ultimately, one of the most accomplished mountaineers on the planet alongside Hillary.
As part of Collider’s Exclusive Fall Preview series, we’re thrilled to share a new image from Tenzing that highlights the friendship between its main duo. Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok plays the titular Norgay opposite Emmy nominee and MCU star Tom Hiddleston as Hillary, and they’re shown smiling at each other in a way that reflects their deep respect while climbing Everest. The two found common ground as outsiders among the British expedition, with the Nepalese-Indian Sherpa having to fight for a spot as a full climber on Hunt’s team and Hillary facing discrimination as a New Zealander. They saw in each other not just remarkable mountaineering skills that rivaled or surpassed anyone on the team, but trust that would prove valuable on a dangerous climb and a relatable drive born from Norgay’s dream to meet the mountain his people revere as Chomolungma and find emotional closure and Hillary’s desire to complete what his heroes never could.
‘Tenzing’ Takes an Emotional Approach to the Ascent of Mount Everest
While most of Tenzing unfolds over the course of the journey up Everest, it also flashes between Norgay’s childhood, where he became interested in climbing and came to appreciate “Chomolungma” as the mother goddess, and his early adult years as he met, fell in love with, and built a life with his wife, Dawa (Thinley Lhamo), who encouraged his pursuit of reaching the mountain’s peak until her untimely death. Those memories add emotional weight to an ascent already defined by competing ambitions and tensions between classes, backgrounds, and cultures. Tenzing and the Sherpas he helps assemble find themselves at odds with the other expeditioners who see the mountain as something to be conquered rather than respected and are driven by a national pride to ensure that a Briton is the first to stand at the summit. When push comes to shove and the final “assault” begins, though, aspirations melt away, and respect is forged between two climbers who feel called to the top of the mountain.
Phuntsok, Hiddleston, and Lhamo are only part of the biopic’s star power. Willem Dafoe also appears as Colonel Hunt alongside Outlander‘s Caitríona Balfe as Jill Henderson, the expedition secretary who fought for Norgay’s spot on the British climbing team. In a reunion with his Shambhala co-star Lhamo, Tenzin Dalha also stars as a younger Norgay. Documentary director Jennifer Peedom helmed the film, letting her work with Dafoe on-screen after previously tapping him as the narrator on her other projects like River and Mountain. She also helped develop the story with screenwriter Luke Davies, who previously co-wrote Garth Davis‘ 2016 biopic Lion.
Tenzing premieres in select theaters on October 9 before streaming globally on Apple TV starting October 16. Check out our exclusive image above.
- Director
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Jennifer Peedom
- Writers
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Luke Davies
- Producers
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Emile Sherman, Liz Watts, Iain Canning
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