![\"Jennifer](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/jennifer-peedoms-everest-epic-tenzing-starring-tom-hiddlesto.jpg\")
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Jennifer Peedom\u2019s Everest epic Tenzing starring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe will open the 22nd Zurich Film Festival next month<\/p>\n
Bringing the story of one of mountaineering\u2019s greatest achievements to the Swiss event, the Apple Original Films drama will receive its European premiere in Zurich on September 24, with Jennifer, Tom and Willem due to appear on the green carpet. <\/p>\n
The film tells the story of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary\u2019s historic 1953 ascent of Mount Everest, with Genden Phuntsok playing Tenzing and Tom portraying the New Zealand mountaineer. <\/p>\n
It is due to open in select US theaters on October 9 before arriving on Apple TV on October 16.<\/p>\n
Zurich Film Festival director Christian Jungen said: \u201cThis year\u2019s Zurich Film Festival motto is \u2018dream big\u2019. Our breathtaking opening film Tenzing fits perfectly, because it shows how you can grow beyond yourself when you have a big dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHe added: \u201cThe film offers powerful emotion and mountain scenery of sublime beauty. But it also carries an important message for our time \u2013 the first ascent of Mount Everest only succeeded because the climbers respected the local Sherpa people and the laws of nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nJennifer, whose previous films include the acclaimed mountaineering documentary Sherpa and Mountain, said: \u201cAt its heart, Tenzing is about a man who dared to imagine a life beyond the limits the world had placed on him, and the courage, sacrifice and belief it took to reach the highest point on earth. The spirit of \u2018dream big\u2019 feels incredibly fitting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe true-life drama centers on Tenzing, a gifted Himalayan climber, and Edmund as they attempt to reach the summit of the world\u2019s highest mountain, 8,849 metres above sea level.<\/p>\n
\nGenden, whose previous credits include Jinpa, takes the title role, while Outlander star Caitr\u00edona Balfe, plays expedition secretary Jill Henderson.<\/p>\n
\nAnd Thinley Lhamo portrays Tenzing\u2019s wife Dawa, who encourages his ambitions.<\/p>\n
\nThe film explores the sharply different attitudes towards Everest among those making the dangerous journey. <\/p>\n
\nWhile the Western climbers view reaching its summit as a conquest, Tenzing regards \u2018Chomolungma\u2019 \u2013the traditional Tibetan name for Mount Everest, meaning \u2018Goddess Mother of the World\u2019 \u2013 as a sacred maternal spirit, with the expedition exposing divisions involving class, background and ambition as well as the physical dangers of the mountain.<\/p>\n
\nFor Tom, Tenzing arrives during another high-profile year. <\/p>\n
\nThe British actor remains best known internationally as Loki, the Marvel character he first played in Thor before appearing in The Avengers, the Thor sequels, the Avengers films and his Disney+ series Loki.<\/p>\n
\nHe is now preparing to return as the character in Avengers: Doomsday, the Russo brothers-directed Marvel blockbuster scheduled for December 18. <\/p>\n
\nThe huge ensemble also includes Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom alongside returning Marvel stars including Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan.<\/p>\n
\nWillem, meanwhile, has built a career spanning more than four decades, including Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Florida Project and his role as Norman Osborn \u2013 aka the Green Goblin \u2013 opposite Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man.<\/p>\n
\nTenzing, written by Luke Davies, is produced by Liz Watts, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jennifer, Luke and Desray Armstrong, with Norbu Tenzing, Simon Gillis and David Mich\u00f4d serving as executive producers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"25 August 2026 Jennifer Peedom\u2019s Everest epic Tenzing starring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe will open the 22nd…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120403,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[6],"tags":[58676,41910,58678,58685,58664,58683,58663,58684,58662,58679,58680,58682,58681,58675,58677,58648,58649,51],"class_list":["post-120402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-zurich","tag-caitriona-balfe","tag-christian-jungen","tag-dawa-tenzing","tag-desray-armstron","tag-edmund-hillary","tag-emile-sherman","tag-genden-phuntsok","tag-iain-canning","tag-jennifer-peedom","tag-jill-henderson","tag-john-hunt","tag-liz-watts","tag-luke-davies","tag-tenzing-norgay","tag-thinley-lhamo","tag-tom-hiddleston","tag-willem-dafoe","tag-zurich"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/117157240898431141","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}