Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe have signed on the dotted line to star in a biopic on the legendary Nepalese-Indian mountaineer who summited Mount Everest, Tenzing Norgay.

Titled ‘Tenzing,’ Hiddleston takes on the role of Edmund Hillary – who Tenzing partnered with in 1953 to reach the top of Everest. Dafoe will play the English expedition leader, Colonel John Hunt. Casting is currently underway to cast the lead role of Norgay.

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The project hails from acclaimed filmmaker Jennifer Peedom who has the exclusive rights to tell Tenzing’s story via his family and has a close relationship with the Sherpa community.

Academy Award-nominated Luke Davies has written the screenplay. The movie is produced by Liz Watts, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning for See-Saw Films, alongside Jennifer Peedom and Davies. Executive producers are Simon Gillis, David Michôd and Norbu Tenzing.