TOM HIDDLESTON, WILLEM DAFOE TO STAR IN BIOPIC OF FAMED EVEREST MOUNTAINEER TENZING NORGAY FOR SEE-SAW FILMS, ROCKET SCIENCE

Prestige indie banner See-Saw Films ("The King's Speech," "The Power of the Dog") are lining up a biopic of Tenzing Norgay, the legendary Nepalese-Indian mountaineer who summited Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, becoming one of the first men to stand on the top of the world.

Variety has learned that "Tenzing" will star Tom Hiddleston as Hillary with Norgay's casting yet to be unveiled. Willem Dafoe will also star in the film, which is being introduced to buyers at Cannes with Rocket Science launching sales.

The feature is being directed from Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedon, who comes with some solid experience in the mountaineering field having helmed the 2015 documentary "Sherpa." Fellow Australian Luke Davies wrote the script.

Having landed numerous awards for "The Power of the Dog," See-Saw Films has been relatively quiet on the feature front recently, with its TV output - particularly its hits "Slow Horses" and "Heartstopper" - getting much of the attention. However, Variety recently broke the news that the company was bringing children's classic "The Neverending Story" back to the big screen with a new adaptation.