As reported in IF, acclaimed Australian documentarian Jennifer Peedom has officially begun production on her long-gestating narrative feature debut Tenzing, with cameras now rolling in Nepal.
Led by newcomer Genden Phuntsok in the title role, Tenzing tells the story of Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay and his historic 1953 Everest summit alongside New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary, portrayed by British star Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager).
Joining Phuntsok and Norgay are Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) as expedition leader Colonel John Hunt and Caitríona Balfe (Belfast) as Jill Henderson, a close friend of Tenzing. Rounding out the main cast is Thinley Lhamo (The Silent Holy Stones) as Dawa, Tenzing’s wife.
The film is an Apple Original, produced by See-Saw Films (The Power of the Dog) and written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Luke Davies (Lion). Davies and producer Emile Sherman previously collaborated on Lion, while Peedom’s background in high-altitude filmmaking on documentaries like River and Mountain lends a certain know-how to the project.
Peedom, known for her BAFTA-nominated documentary Sherpa and poetic mountain-symphony Mountain, has been connected to the Norgay family since 2003 and has reportedly been developing Tenzing in earnest since 2016.
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‘It’s a story I’ve carried with me for years,’ Peedom has previously said. ‘Tenzing Norgay is a name the world should know better, not just in the shadow of Hillary, but in his own right.’
The creative team includes director of photography Stefan Duscio (The Dry), production designer Melinda Doring, editor Simon Njoo (The Nightingale), costume designer Kirsty Cameron, and hair and makeup designer Stef Knight.
The production has a robust producing team: Liz Watts, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning lead for See-Saw Films, joined by Desray Armstrong, Jennifer Peedom and Luke Davies. Executive producers include Simon Gillis, director David Michôd (The King), and Norbu Tenzing, Tenzing Norgay’s eldest son.
Local partners Pravesh Sahni and Rakesh Singh are also attached via Itop Film Productions.
Tenzing had previously been in development at Netflix, with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions once slated to produce. However, the project changed course after a heated bidding war at the 2023 Cannes market, with Apple TV+ ultimately securing worldwide rights.
Principal photography commenced in May 2025 on location in Kathmandu and the Everest region, with the shoot expected to continue for at least a month.
Post-production will take place in Australia at Sydney’s Spectrum Films.
The Tenzing cast:
- Genden Phuntsok as Tenzing Norgay
- Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary
- Willem Dafoe as John Hunt
- Caitríona Balfe as Jill Henderson
- Thinley Lhamo as Dawa Norgay
