‘Tenzing’: Apple Backed Tom Hiddleston Starrer Sets Rare Theatrical Release!!

Like most streaming services, Apple TV is not known for being pro-theater. However, the streaming service is one of the kinder ones for this medium, with some of its movies having a limited theatrical release before becoming available to stream. Blockbusters like F1 and Killers of the Flower Moon had a short theatrical window before they hit Apple TV. This release strategy is on a case-by-case basis, as streaming services weigh which movies have the potential to draw people to theaters and possibly secure award nominations. The streamer has several movies set for a theatrical release, with one of them hitting all the notes for a potential award run.

This film is based on a true story and chronicles the feat of one little-known pioneer. Many people might be unaware of Tenzing Norgay, the first recorded mountain climber to reach the summit of the tallest mountain in the world. Genden Phuntsok plays the Himalayan climber who collaborated with New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, played by Tom Hiddleston, for the historic climb. Tenzing has attracted some top-tier talent, including Willem Dafoe as Colonel Hunt and Caitríona Balfe as Jill Henderson.

Tenzing had to overcome a lot because, before he was allowed to climb, he served the British climbing team. With Henderson, they convince Colonel Hunt to add him to the team as a climber. He was able to climb the mountain by using a different philosophy from his Western counterparts, who viewed it as a conquest, whereas Tenzing viewed it as an entity. The climb becomes not only a challenge to push human limits but also a clash of ideas and backgrounds. Still, a mountain like Everest, or Chomolungma as it is traditionally called, has the unique ability to strip people down to the bare minimum and reveal what they’re made of.

What Happened to Tenzing Norgay?

After making history as the first recorded person to climb Mount Everest, Tenzing became a global celebrity and was named as Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the 21st Century. He went on to write a book that detailed his life. Tenzing was married three times and had seven children. His first wife, Dawa (Thienly Lhamo), was one of his greatest supporters, but she died. He had numerous grandchildren, including Tenzing Trainor (Liv and Maddie, Freeridge), an American actor and son of Norgay‘s daughter Deki Tenzing. Norgay died in 1986 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 71.