Tom Hiddleston and Genden Phuntsok Bring Everest Drama Tenzing to Apple TV

The story of the first ascent of Mount Everest has been told for more than seven decades, but rarely from the point of view of the man who stood beside Edmund Hillary at the top. Tenzing, the new drama from director Jennifer Peedom, sets out to change that. After opening in cinemas in the United States and the United Kingdom on October 9, the film arrived on Apple TV on Friday, October 16, 2026, the same day it opened in Australian cinemas, according to The Guardian.

Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa mountaineer who reached the summit with Hillary in 1953. Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary, the New Zealand climber whose name became shorthand for the achievement. Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe and Thinley Lhamo round out a cast that TVLine highlighted in its Friday viewing guide.

A Sherpa at the Center of the Story

For decades, popular accounts of the 1953 British expedition tended to cast Tenzing as a helper rather than a pioneer. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote that history understated his role and treated him as Hillary's noble assistant, and that the film restores him to his rightful place. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw made a similar point, noting that the screenwriter and director aimed to put Tenzing's achievement back at the center of the narrative.

The film follows that idea in its structure. Flashbacks trace Tenzing's own life rather than Hillary's, starting with a boyhood fascination with the mountain he calls by its Tibetan name, Chomolungma. An early scene features a brief appearance by the British climber George Mallory, played by Johnny Flynn.

The Cast and the Climb

Phuntsok, a Chinese actor of Tibetan descent, carries the film in the title role. Bradshaw wrote that "Genden Phuntsok's charm carries the picture," while Gleiberman described a performance with "a will of iron, and a velvet wit." Both critics singled out how the character refuses to be treated as anyone's subordinate.

Hiddleston's Hillary is quieter. Gleiberman described his work as "frosty empathetic reserve," and Bradshaw called the portrayal frank, thoughtful and practical. Dafoe plays John Hunt, the British colonel who led the expedition and wanted it run along strict military lines, an approach that the film shows placing the Sherpa team at the bottom of the hierarchy.

The drama of the climb itself is built on logistics as much as courage. As the team moves higher, weather and dwindling time make the summit look less likely, and Tenzing is promoted from guide to full team member before he and Hillary are chosen for the final push.

A Documentary Eye on a Classic Adventure

Peedom, an Australian filmmaker, has spent years making documentaries about climbing, and reviewers credit that background for the film's sense of place. Gleiberman called the staging authentic and breathtaking without being showy, and said the result is an adventure movie "without adventure-movie corniness." The screenplay is by Luke Davies, with Stefan Duscio behind the camera and a score by Rebekka Karijord.

The production comes from Apple Studios with See-Saw Films and partners, with producers including Liz Watts, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Peedom and Davies. Variety lists a PG rating and a running time of 128 minutes, and the film screened at the Telluride Film Festival in September.

What Critics Are Saying

Reviews so far are warm with some reservations. Variety called Tenzing "a remarkable adventure" and praised its old school classicism, while noting that the flashbacks may come a little too often. The Guardian described it as well intentioned and watchable, if sometimes soft-edged, and praised the high mountain production values.

That mix suggests a film that works best for viewers who enjoy patient, large scale storytelling. For anyone drawn to the recent run of mountaineering documentaries, it offers a scripted take on the most famous climb of all, told with a fresh emphasis on the person history too often pushed to the side.

How to Watch

Tenzing is streaming now on Apple TV, after a cinema release in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. It is a strong pick for a weekend watch, especially on the biggest screen you can find, since the mountain scenery is a large part of the appeal.

Have you seen Tenzing yet? Tell us whether Phuntsok and Hiddleston won you over, and keep following Hollywood Magazine for the latest on new releases, casting news and the stories behind the screen.

Sources: The Guardian, Variety and TVLine.