Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur’s upcoming thriller Everest has been selected as the opening film of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, joining the ranks of acclaimed films like Birdman and Gravity.
The film is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, when on May 10-11 that year, eight people died attempting to scale the summit, as described in several survivor accounts—these include Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by writer Jon Krakauer of Into the Wild-fame; and The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest by guide Anatoli Boukreev.
It boasts a star-studded cast, featuring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, Keira Kneightly, Sam Worthington and Jake Gyllenhaal in the main roles.
Everest is slated for a September 18 wide theatrical release following its world premiere on September 2 in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema di Venezia.
