Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur splashed onto the international scene in the early aughts with films like “101 Reykjavík,” “Hafið,” “A Little Trip to Heaven,” and while Hollywood’s embraced him fully—see the mainstream crime thrillers “2 Guns” and “Contraband”— neither has demonstrated much auteurist vision. It’s the classic dilemma, a talented and coveted international director makes a big splash, but when they get to Hollywood, they are sucked into some fairly generic scripts and thus generate some fairly generic movies (see the problem that Swedish “Easy Money” filmmaker Daniel Espinosa has found himself in after what seemed like a promising start in Hollywood).
But with Universal’s mountain climbing thriller, “Everest,” Kormákur just might find his way back on track. The movie’s cast is epic and its very much an ensemble film that includes Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, Elizabeth Delbecki and Jake Gyllenhaal. William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy (“127 Hours”), “Everest” centers on two different expeditions trying to reach the highest peak in the Himalayas during brutal blizzard conditions. Who’s on who’s team? That begins to unveil itself in the newest trailer for the film, but considering the sprawling cast, the severity and danger of the climbing conditions and the potentially hinting fact that Gyllenhaal is listed last in the cast, it’s very possible we’re going to see stars drop like flies—or rather freeze like icicles—in this picture. The “Contagion” of mountain climbing movies (a picture that killed off Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet almost immediately), we’ll soon find out. Here’s the official synopsis:
Inspired by the incredible events surrounding an attempt to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival. The epic adventure stars Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson and Jake Gyllenhaal.
READ MORE: New Photos Of Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin And A New Poster From Himalayan Peek Thriller ‘Everest’
Universal will be releasing “Everest” wide on September 18th. And given the starry cast, there’s a good chance we may see this one turn up at the red-carpet obsessed Toronto International Film Festival just a week or two earlier. Check out the domestic trailer and Spanish promo below.