Directed by Australian film-maker Jennifer Peedom, Tenzing stars Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok in the lead role, with Tom Hiddleston portraying Hillary. The cast also includes Willem Dafoe as expedition leader Colonel John Hunt, Caitriona Balfe as Himalayan Club secretary Jill Henderson and Thinley Lhamo as Tenzing’s wife Dawa.
The film contrasts the way the climbers view the mountain. The Western climbers viewed Everest as a mountain to be conquered, while Norgay held deep respect for Chomolungma, the Tibetan name for the peak.
Peedom previously directed the Nepal-focused documentaries Sherpa and Miracle on Everest, and Australian author and screenwriter Luke Davies wrote the screenplay.
The trailer gives a glimpse into the politics Norgay went through to secure his place in the British expedition. Photo / Apple TV
The film was shot in Nepal and New Zealand. Production began in Nepal in May 2025 before moving to the South Island, including locations around Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Remarkables near Queenstown.
Hiddleston previously told the Herald he spent “six or seven weeks” filming in New Zealand during July and August 2025 and described Hillary as an “extraordinary human being” who achieved one of mankind’s most remarkable feats.
He told the Herald the chance to embody one of history’s greatest Kiwis was, for him, an “unforgettable, unrepeatable experience”.
Hiddleston described Hillary as an “extraordinary human being” who achieved one of mankind’s most remarkable feats. Photo / Apple TV
When the project was first announced, Peedom said the film aimed to give Norgay’s contribution greater recognition alongside Hillary’s. The story focuses on a climber who has often received less attention in retellings of one of mountaineering’s most celebrated achievements.
Writing in Deadline, critic Pete Hammond said the film tells the Everest story through “the eyes of the Sherpa” and described it as a long-awaited opportunity to focus on Norgay’s perspective.