Fans will come face-to-face with the brutal and deadly elements of the world's highest mountain in "Everest," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Keira Knightly, Robin Wright and more.
Based on a true story, the film documents the journey of two expeditions stranded in the mountain's so-called Death Zone -- above 26,000 feet -- after they encounter one of the worst storms ever.
Director Baltasar Kormakur wanted the experience to be as authentic as possible, filming on location in Nepal and the Italian Alps.
"In the beginning, that sounds great, conceptually. And then there's the reality of it," Brolin told toofab during a press conference for the film. "Then there's 'Ok, now I'm freezing. I'm kind of done with his whole idea.' That's what [Baltasar] is looking for. As a director, he did amazing things in being able to keep our morale up for month after month."
"When we came from the snow [in Nepal], we went to London. Because the snow didn't look correct, they were using salt – throwing salt in 100 mph fans – and getting a nice exfoliation," he joked. "After a while, the romance of it was gone. We're going, 'Ok, I am feeling an irritation that I hope will look good on film, because it's there.'”
"A happy actor is not a good actor, you know?" Kormakur said, getting a huge laugh from the press room.
"Part of the need to tell the story is the need to experience it," the director explained. "I can't experience what it's like to be on the top of Everest, but you want to get as close to it as you possibly can. That's the way we chose to make the film. Not making it easy on ourselves, trying to be in the elements."
Not only did the actors have to fight the weather and the tough terrain, but they also felt added pressure to find the true essence of their characters.
"I find it hard to compare acting to anything in the real world," Gyllenhaal declared. "What we're trying to do is make what these guys did and continue to do, which was legitimately risk their lives. We did maybe 25-percent of what they experienced in reality. But, there is nothing more fun than putting yourself in a situation that feels as real as possible. It's fun for me to think of an audience feeling those feelings as well."
"Finding the essence of who these people were – that was the most important thing," he added. "We aren't doing imitations – we're creating the spirit of this adventure."
"I think we're trying to be as respectful as we possibly can, given what we do. It's fake, it's simulated," Brolin added. "We try to make moments that you can write about, but it's much deeper than that … If we can respectfully tell this story, that's the intention."
See the cast in action with "Everest" blows into theaters on September 18 -- check out the trailer below!
