Everest is an ambitious film title. It lays claim to the highest peaks and the popular perceptions and life experiences surrounding it – but for good reason. Director Baltasar Kormakur told Variety that the film tells the story of the moment "the commercialization of Everest" began through the lens of a 1996 expedition that left eight climbers dead during a particularly brutal season. It's based on John Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air," which tells the story of that year. Krakauer accompanied the climbers on part of the expedition, and now Jake Gyllenhaal and Jason Clarke will bring the story to life. But how did they do it - and was Everest actually filmed on Mount Everest?
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Filming actually took place at several locations in frigid Europe as well as at Everest Base Camp. Due to the challenges of climate, weather and the severe lack of oxygen high up on Everest, the filmmakers chose less daunting peaks in place of the tallest peaks. That's not to say the trail gets easier the higher you go - temperatures in the Dolomites, one of the filming locations, reached 20 degrees below zero. The filmmakers and actors took very real risks while filming this film in Nepal and beyond. Here they went:
1. Kathmandu, Nepal
Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal was the filming location for the movie Mount Everest . Its domestic terminal was the filming location for the scene where the expedition team arrived in Nepal to prepare for mountain climbing. In addition to the airport, filming locations included several streets and neighborhoods in Kathmandu and Boudha, the city's iconic Buddhist meditation site known as a "stupa."
2. Santa Monica Mountains
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Jason Clarke as two expedition leaders (although only one is able to successfully complete the expedition) who hike in the Santa Monica Mountains and receive filming training. They climbed up the cliff, getting lost in the process, and wandered until the sun began to set, where they met several hikers who helped them reach safety. (The temperature drops sharply at night and wild animals come out to hunt.)
3. Everest Base Camp
The filmmakers obtained permission to film in Nepal for a short period, spending some of that time at Everest Base Camp, which serves as the launch pad for all climbers hoping to summit Everest. The Everest shoot lasted less than a month before the team moved to Italy's Dolomites, but it was a challenging undertaking. During the filming, an avalanche knocked down several Sherpas who were carrying supplies for climbers preparing to summit. Fortunately, as Deadline reported at the time, no one on the crew was injured, but it's a testament to how fragile filming conditions are on Everest .
4. Dolomites
During the filming of Everest , the Italian mountains became more accessible locations due to logistical and climatic reasons. The actors underwent climbing and mountaineering training to prepare for their roles, which was both a physical and artistic task. This allowed them to reach their peak while climbing the Italian Alps. According to Variety , filming for the Italian portion is said to have lasted six weeks.
5.Iceland
Director Kormaku is from Iceland, so it seems reasonable that he would choose his home country to film parts of Everest . According to Variety , the film was shot in Iceland for a month.
6.Rome, Italy
Perhaps least exciting of all, Everest was also filmed at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, Italy. But it means the cast and crew have time to wander through the city's incredible history and maybe bask in a little warmth before heading back to the frigid temperatures of the various mountains.
It may be called Mount Everest , but the Mount Everest in Kormacul's film is a mixture of multiple mountain ranges. On screen, Italy, Nepal, Iceland and the United States rival the world's highest peaks.
Editor's Note: This article originally stated that Josh Brolin, not Jason Clarke, played one of the main expedition leaders in the film.
Image: Universal Pictures (6)
