Tenzing tells the familiar story of the first complete ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 from a new perspective. The new Apple TV biopic focuses on Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese-Indian mountaineer who, alongside Edmund Hillary, was one of the first climbers to summit the mountain.
For Tom Hiddleston, who stars as Hillary opposite Genden Phuntsok's Tenzing, this perspective was what drew him to the movie. "It was overwhelmingly moving and inspiring," he tells GamesRadar+ in an interview with Phuntsok. "I love mountains, and I've always been compelled by Everest, the highest mountain, the most magnificent, the roof of the world. But the promise and the premise of the film immediately – the film is called Tenzing, and that itself is very moving."
Norgay's contribution, not only in the ascent in 1953 but in several previous attempts, is something that has received much less attention in other retellings of this story. The new movie hopes to retroactively change this by foregrounding the enormous work the Sherpas played in the climb.
"This film is about Tenzing Norgay, and it's about putting Tenzing at the center of his own story, a man who is a part of history but has not been recognized for his contribution, and I found the script incredibly moving and inspiring," Hiddeston adds.
In particular, the Jennifer Peedom-directed movie acknowledges the spiritual power of Chomolungma, the Tibetan name for Everest, that Tenzing felt his whole life, growing up in its shadow. This is something the Marvel actor describes as viewing it "not as a mountain to be conquered, but a goddess to be worshiped, a mother into whose lap they might climb."
It wasn't only the moving story that drew Hiddleston to jump on board this project, but also the refreshing change of pace from other projects he's worked on. Unlike superhero shows like Loki and the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday, Tenzing was filmed entirely on location. This took place in Kathmandu and the Everest region as well as sections in New Zealand.
"Jen Peedom, our director, had insisted that we were going to do this for real, that we were not going to do this on a set or on a soundstage, no green screen, no visual effects," Hiddleston tells us. "We were going to go to the Himalayas, and we were going to high mountains, real peaks, real crevasses, real ice falls, real snow, real wind, real ice, and she was true to her word. So she promised a great adventure, and it was the most unrepeatable, unforgettable adventure of my life."
To prepare for the role, Phuntsok also had to learn how to scale a 30-foot icy crevasse for real, which he admits was "really challenging".
Tenzing is available in select theaters and to stream on Apple TV now. For more, check out our guide to the best Apple TV movies to watch now.
