Apple Grabs Global Rights to Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe Everest Film ‘Tenzing’

Apple Original Films has acquired the global rights to “Tenzing,” an upcoming biopic that has Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe attached to star.

The film, which will be directed by Jennifer Peedom from a script by Luke Davies, will tell the story Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who famously joined Sir Edmund Hillary on his historic climb up Mount Everest in 1953, becoming the first men to reach the highest peak on Earth.

A casting search has begun to find the actor who will play Norgay alongside Hiddleston, who will play Hillary, and Dafoe, who will play Col. John Hunt, the head of the expedition up Everest.

Peedom and Davies will produce the film alongside See-Saw Films, with producers Liz Watts, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning representing the studio. Simon Gillis, David Michôd and Norbu Tenzing, Norgay’s son, will serve as executive producers.

“Tenzing” marks the latest collaboration for Apple and See-Saw following the BAFTA-winning series “Slow Horses,” which is currently in production on its fifth season. This also marks Dafoe and Peedom’s third project together, following collaborations on the documentaries “River” and “Mountain.” Apple, See-Saw and Hiddleston have also previously collaborated on Apple’s limited series, “The Essex Serpent.”

Peedom will be making her scripted feature debut with “Tenzing” after work on several documentaries including “Sherpa,” a film about the life of Tenzing Norgay. Her work on the doc allowed Peedom to build a close relationship with the Tenzing family and the Sherpa community, leading to this new project.

Hiddleston is represented by Hamilton Hodell, UTA, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP, and Prosper PR. Dafoe is represented by WME, Circle of Confusion and Narrative. Peedom is represented by Anonymous Content.

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