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These days, climbing Mount Everest is almost a rite of passage for the wealthy—so much so that there’s a line to get to the summit.
Climbing to the 29,032-foot-high summit was unheard of until 1953, when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary created the first climbable route from Nepal. As you can imagine, it was no easy feat. It was a harrowing adventure that would pave the way for climbers for generations.
And premiering in select theaters on October 9 and on Apple TV on October 16, Tenzing depicts that historic climb. Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe, Thinley Lhamo and Tenzin Dalha star in the dramatic new film by director Jennifer Peedom. Already, it had its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on September 4 and at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival earlier this week.
RECOMMENDED: Venice review: ‘Everest: The Other Side’ will take your emotions into thin air
What is the movie Tenzing about?
Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing Norgay, the gifted Himalayan climber who became the first to summit Mount Everest with New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary (Hiddleston). Balfe plays expedition secretary Jill Henderson, while Lhamo is Norgay’s wife. Dafoe is Colonel John Hunt who must be convinced that Tenzing belongs on the British climbing team.
Tenzing reveres “Chomolungma” as the sacred mother goddess, while the British sees the mountain as something to conquer.
“What follows is an ascent defined as much by the tensions between backgrounds, classes and competing ambitions as by the perils of the mountain itself,” Apple TV says. “But high above the world, empire, rank and aspiration fall away, leaving two outsiders bound by mutual respect and trust—and for Tenzing, the fulfillment of both a lifelong dream and a spiritual calling.”
Watch the trailer for Tenzing here:
Where can I watch the Tenzing movie in 2026?
Catch Tenzing in select theaters on October 9 and streaming on Apple TV on October 16.