The Curzon Mayfair, in Mayfair, London W1, hosted the London premiere of Tenzing on Thursday 1 October 2026. The film will premiere globally on Apple TV on 16 October, SA Good News reports.

The film

Directed by Jennifer Peedom, Tenzing centres on Tenzing Norgay, played by Genden Phuntsok, and his ascent of Everest alongside Edmund Hillary, portrayed by Tom Hiddleston. It explores Norgay's life, the relationships that sustained him and the international adulation that followed the successful 1953 ascent. That success made him the world's first global celebrity from the Sherpa community.

Photographs from the evening show Thinley Lhamo, Tom Hiddleston, Genden Phuntsok, Jennifer Peedom and Caitriona Balfe attending the premiere for Apple Original Films.

A mountaineer in the audience

South African mountaineer and humanitarian Angela Yeung was among the guests, pictured with Zambian-born BBC News anchor Lukwesa Burak. Yeung is a jewellery entrepreneur and philanthropist who summited Mount Everest in 2025 after a 50-day expedition via the North Side route. Her climb supported the Impilo Collection Foundation's campaign to provide bras to women and girls affected by gender-based violence and vulnerable living conditions in South Africa.

Yeung said the film took her back to the Himalayas. "Watching Tenzing was deeply emotional for me, particularly as a mountaineer who has spent considerable time in the Himalayas and summitted Everest." She praised the decision to tell the story from Norgay's perspective, and said Phuntsok brought "such humanity and dignity to the role".

She also singled out the film's detail. "The music, breathtaking scenery and personal relationships transported me straight back to the Himalayan region," she said.

On the hardships shown on screen, she said: "Having experienced high-altitude mountaineering myself, I could relate deeply to the hardships portrayed." She added that the film "captures something that is sometimes forgotten when we celebrate a summit: nobody gets there alone."

Where to see it

Tenzing arrives on Apple TV on 16 October. The premiere at The Curzon Mayfair marked its London launch.

Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.