Doug Liman, director of the upcoming film "Everest," described his new project during a presentation at the Pre-Cannes Screenings today. The film is set to star Ewan McGregor, Sam Heughan, and Mark Strong.
"‘Everest is about the first attempt to climb Mount Everest in 1921. It resulted in the first 11 deaths on Everest," said Liman. He called it a "truly a four-quadrant movie because it is so character-driven and every character has such a powerful story." He went on to reference McGregor and Heughan, saying, "They are such charismatic stars that it really will allow me as a filmmaker to show the darker sides of the obsession of climbing this mountain, and what they're each willing to give up and sacrifice in an attempt to be the first to get up this mountain."
Ewan McGregor plays English mountaineer George Mallory, Sam Heughan plays eccentric Australian climber George Finch, and Strong plays Arthur Hinks of the Royal Geographic Society. All three take on the adventure of climbing the legendary mountain.
"I've wanted to play Mallory for years. I think it is because it is so very real. The adventure of it is quite hard to find these days," said McGregor.
Liman said, "I love the rivalry between Finch and Mallory. They're sort of helping each other but ultimately rooting against each other because they want to make sure the other one doesn't get there so that the opportunities are available to them." He added: "I just feel like the characters, in some ways, are so modern. I don't think of ‘Everest' like a period movie. It's as modern as they get."
The film will begin shooting in January 2022 in the U.K. and Italy.
