Apple TV Sets Theatrical Release to Sherpa ‘Tenzing’
Apple TV has set an October release date for its forthcoming historical film 'Tenzing.'
Apple TV has set an October release date for its forthcoming historical film Tenzing, which tells the story of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who famously helped Sir Edmund Hillary summit Mount Everest in 1953.
Though it’s extremely limited, the fact that this film is getting a theatrical release before it arrives on streaming indicates that Apple has hopes it will be a serious awards contender in 2027. It makes sense, given its prestige cast and feel-good story, as well as the film’s personal connections to the community that depends on the mountain for its living. (One also has to assume it won’t be too focused on the 200-plus dead bodies that remain on Everest’s slopes.)
An accomplished mountaineer and high-altitude porter for several previous British expeditions, the Tibetan-born Norgay had (unsuccessfully) been to Everest six times before his and Hillary’s attempt. The pair would forge a strong working relationship and together achieve what was thought impossible, becoming the first to reach the peak of the world’s tallest mountain.
Genden Phuntsok (Snow Leopard) stars as Tenzing, opposite Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager) as Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist who also founded the Himalayan Trust, served as his country’s ambassador to Nepal, and engaged in extensive polar exploration. He was the first person to reach the South Pole by land vehicle in 1958 and later journeyed to the North Pole, claiming the title of the first person to stand at both of the Earth’s poles and the summit of its tallest mountain.
Hillary and Norgay were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, and news of their success reached London in time to be announced on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Ani Bundel
Here’s the film’s synopsis.
Based on true events, “Tenzing” chronicles the little-known story of Tenzing Norgay, a gifted Himalayan climber who, alongside New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, was the first to summit Mount Everest. Encouraged by his wife Dawa, Tenzing finds an ally in expedition secretary Jill Henderson. Together, they persuade Colonel John Hunt that Tenzing belongs on the British climbing team, rather than merely serving it. Where Western climbers see “Everest” as something to be conquered, Tenzing reveres “Chomolungma” as the sacred mother goddess. What follows is an ascent defined as much by the tensions between backgrounds, classes, and competing ambitions as by the perils of the mountain itself.
Alongside Phuntsok and Hiddleston, the film also stars Willem Dafoe (Murder on the Orient Express) and Caitriona Balfe (Outlander).
Luke Davies (Lion) wrote the script, and the film is directed by Jennifer Peedom, who made the 2015 documentary Sherpa. Producers are Liz Watts, Emile Sherman, and Iain Canning for See-Saw Films, alongside Peedom, Davies, and Desray Armstrong. Executive producers are Simon Gillis, David Michôd, and Norbu Tenzing.
Tenzing will be released in select theaters on Friday, October 9, before streaming globally on Apple TV beginning one week later, Friday, October 16, 2026.
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