Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe to Star in Film on Tenzing Norgay
Loki actor Tom Hiddleston will play the role of Sir Edmund Hillary, while the search is still on for the actor who will play Tenzing Norgay

A new biopic on Everest climber Tenzing Norgay is in the works by Oscar-winning company See-Saw Films, know for The King’s Speech The Power of the Dog. Norgay summited Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, becoming one of the first men to stand on the top of the world.
The film will be called Tenzing and it will star Tom Hiddleston as Hillary and Willem Dafoe as the English expedition leader, Colonel John Hunt. A search is underway to cast the lead role of Norgay. The film is the brainchild of filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, who made the award-winning Sherpa. She has the exclusive rights to tell Tenzing’s story via his family and has a close relationship with the Sherpa community. Tenzing is written by Academy Award-nominated Luke Daviesk, who worked on Lion and Beautiful Boy. Executive producers include Tenzing’s son, Norbu Tenzing, Simon Gillis and David Michôd.
“I could not be more thrilled to be bringing Tenzing Norgay’s story to the screen,” said Peedom in a press release. “I’ve been working towards this film my whole career, and I’m incredibly grateful to Tenzing’s family for entrusting me with it. I am excited to work with See-Saw Films and our amazing cast to bring this story to life. Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe are two of the most generous and talented actors in the business, so pairing them with our brilliant Himalayan cast is going to be electric. I have no doubt this film will resonate widely. We all have our own mountains to climb, and this film shows us what human beings are truly capable of.”
About the project, Norbu said, “Jen is somebody who has earned the respect of our people, understands the community, and is deeply immersed in our culture. She’s a great human being and someone that we trust, and she has had a lifelong interest in the story of my father Tenzing Norgay. I am delighted that she has taken on this project and can’t wait for the world to see who my father was.”