Keira Knightley has escaped the perils of the corset to join the sprawling cast of Universal’s 3D adventure epic, Everest. Produced by Working Title, the film will explore three real-life rival expeditions that took place in 1996, all of which fell prey to a giant storm. Knightley is set to play Jan Arnold, the wife of mountain climber Rob Hall.
The roster so far suggests the studio are aiming for an awards contender, with a glut of Hollywood’s heavyweights starring alongside the English rose. Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Lawless) stars as Knightley’s husband, with Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners), John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Josh Brolin (Oldboy) all also starring. Last month, Robin Wright (Netflix’s House Of Cards) and Sam Worthington (Clash Of The Titans) also snagged roles in what’s shaping up to be one of the year’s showiest ensembles.
The 3D jaunt will be director Baltasar Kormakur’s (2 Guns, Contraband) first foray into big-name, big-buck blockbuster cinema. Expect a multi-faceted story, as the script was written based upon a variety of sources (survivor testimony and several accounts from books based on the events). It’s very probable that at least one of the cast will land an Oscar nod, as well, what with the material adhering to the Academy’s penchant for true story retellings.
With the change from its original February 2015 release date, Everest will now hit cinemas on September 18th, 2015.