Before we see Tom Hiddleston back in the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, he’ll be back on our screens in “unforgettable” new drama Tenzing which is based on the incredible true story of Himalayan climber Tenzing Norgay.
The biopic tells the little-known story of how Tenzing (Genden Phuntsok), alongside New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary (Hiddleston), became the first to summit Mount Everest.
Encouraged by his wife (Thinley Lhamo), Tenzing finds an ally in expedition secretary Jill Henderson (Caitríona Balfe) and together, they are able to persuade Colonel John Hunt (Willem Dafoe) that he belongs on the British climbing team, rather than serving it. The higher they get, the less that rank matters as Tenzing manages to fulfil a lifelong dream.
Ahead of its release in cinemas and on Apple TV next month, the powerful trailer for Tenzing has been released, which you can check out above. Even from this brief look, it seems that it won’t be one for anybody with a fear of heights…
Courtesy of TIFF
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Tenzing was directed by Jennifer Peedom and written by Luke Davies, with story by Peedom and Davies. It received its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival and also played Toronto International Film Festival this week, with early critic reviews hailing it as “unforgettable”.
“Tenzing is the Oppenheimer for mountain climbing, and First Man for Tenzing Norgay. It’s as brilliant and profound and unforgettable as those two movies,” wrote FirstShowing.net, with Next Best Picture calling it “an inspirational biographical epic elevated by an extraordinary life and crowd-pleasing filmmaking”.
“At its best, Tenzing is a personal story and a fascinating exploration of the varied local culture’s relationship to the as-of-yet untamed deity,” added AwardsWatch, while The Hollywood Reporter noted that it’s “plenty likable, but also plenty forgettable”.
Apple
Apple
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While preparing for the movie, Hiddleston recalled to EW that he got the chance to talk to Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving member of the 1953 expedition who sadly died months later in October 2025.
“We were very fortunate to have spent time in his company,” Hiddleston said. “He was generous in his account of many things about that time. I asked him about Edmund Hillary. ‘He was always laughing,’ Kanchha Sherpa told us. ‘He was always relaxed and happy. He ate with us. No airs and graces. He laughed a lot.'”
Tenzing is released in select cinemas on 9 October and on Apple TV from 16 October.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.