Hiddleston and Dafoe's 'Tenzing' Selected as Zurich Opening Night Film
The film 'Tenzing' recounts the 1953 first ascent of Mount Everest by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. Directed by Jennifer Peedom, it stars Tom Hiddleston as Hillary and Willem Dafoe as expedition leader John Hunt. The movie will have its European premiere as the opening selection of the Zurich Film Festival on September 24.
The film pairs Peedom, a documentarian known for her mountain-focused work, with See-Saw Films, the production company behind several prestige features. The cast includes Thinley Lhamo as Tenzing's wife Dawa and Caitríona Balfe as expedition secretary Jill Henderson, rounding out the ensemble around the central climbing narrative.
Tenzing will have its world premiere at Toronto before traveling to Zurich, where Hiddleston, Dafoe, and Peedom are scheduled to attend the opening night gala. The film's release strategy includes a brief theatrical window beginning October 9, followed by its Apple TV streaming debut on October 16.
The film's focus on the Sherpa perspective in the Everest story could reshape public understanding of a milestone often framed as a British achievement. By centering Tenzing Norgay