The Climbers (2019 film)
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| The Climbers | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Chinese | 攀登者 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Pāndēngzhě |
| Directed by | Daniel Lee |
| Written by | Alai Daniel Lee |
| Produced by | Tsui Hark Susanna Tsang |
| Starring | Wu Jing Zhang Ziyi Zhang Yi Jing Boran Hu Ge |
| Cinematography | Tony Cheung Chow Chi-fai Sunny Tsang Mike Lau |
| Edited by | Li Lin Jack Tang |
| Music by | Henry Lai |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Shanghai Film Co., Ltd. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 125 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | $174 million[1][2] |
The Climbers (Chinese: 攀登者) is a 2019 Chinese adventure drama film directed by Daniel Lee and written by Alai.[3] The film stars Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi, Zhang Yi, Jing Boran, and Hu Ge.[4] The film tells the real-life expedition of two generations of Chinese mountaineers to ascend Mount Everest from the perilous north side in 1960 and 1975.[5] The film was released in China, the United Kingdom and North America on September 30, 2019.
In 1960, the Chinese mountaineering team made its first attempt to summit Mount Everest. Acting team leader Fang Wuzhou was faced with a critical decision—save his teammate Qu Songlin or preserve the camera in Qu Songlin's hand. Choosing to save his teammate, Fang led the team to successfully reach the summit from the treacherous North Face, accomplishing what the global mountaineering community deemed impossible. However, due to the lack of a 360-degree photographic record of the peak, the feat was not internationally recognized.
In 1975, determined to gain global recognition, the Chinese mountaineering team regrouped. With the support of meteorologist Xu Ying, Fang Wuzhou and Qu Songlin led a new generation of climbers, including Li Guoliang and Yang Guang, on another perilous ascent to the world's highest peak. Awaiting them were even harsher conditions—and a life-or-death challenge.
Cast
- Wu Jing as Fang Wuzhou (based on Wang Fuzhou)
- Zhang Ziyi as Xu Ying
- Zhang Yi as Qu Songlin
- Jing Boran as Li Guoliang
- Hu Ge as Yang Guang (based on Xia Boyu)[6]
- Jackie Chan as old Yang Guang
- Wang Jingchun as Zhao Chun
- Chen Long as Lin Jie
- He Lin as Zhao Hong
- Choenyi Tsering as Hei Mudan
- Liu Xiaofeng as Xu Haotian
- Tobgyal as a Tibetan Buddhist monk
- Lawang Lop as Jiebu (based on Gongbu)
Production
Before the film was filmed, actor Wu Jing underwent a half-month cold tolerance training in Mount Gangshka, Menyuan Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai Province.[7]
Production started in February 2019 and ended in late April 2019. Most of the film was shot on location in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
On February 16, 2019, actress Zhang Ziyi announced on Sina Weibo that Wu Jing, Zhang Yi, Jing Boran and He Lin had joined the cast.[8] On March 1, Hu Ge and Jackie Chan joined the cast, and Zhang Ziyi would play a meteorologist.[7]
Release
The first poster was released on August 29, 2019, and the first official trailer was released on September 10, 2019. The film premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2019, and it was slated for release in China, the UK and North America on September 30, 2019.[3][9]