The man who climbed Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen (by himself no less) and considered the greatest mountaineer, Reinhold Messner is getting an action-adventure film White Out, based on a story from Messner with Chockstone Pictures. Deadline confirmed the news about the picture as well as the director behind the project.
The award-winning Austrian director behind the soccer drama series The Net and Sony Television’s Alex Rider, Andreas Prochaska, has been chosen to direct the feature.
The White Out script was written by Olivia Hetreed, Don Bohlinger, and Sascha Arango. The action-adventure is based on a story from Messner, and it follows a young man who has grown up in the shadow of his renowned father, who is regarded as the world’s greatest climber. Finally, they will take on a challenging ascent of a sacred Himalayan peak together.
“White Out has every element for an immersive cinematic experience: Epic scale and personal drama, great action, and real characters,” said Prochaska to Deadline. “Based on a story by Reinhold Messner, the most famous climber of all time, White Out combines the excitement of a mountain rescue thriller with existential themes of love and fatherhood, raising the question, why do we as humans force ourselves to go to the limit and beyond?”
Messner added: “The White Out script is profound and, for me, very emotional. As an admirer of Andreas Prochaska’s work, I believe he will turn it into an unusually exciting and poignant movie.”
Not only is Messner considered to be the greatest mountaineer and having climbed Mt. Everest, but he also has written more than 80 books. He even directed and was featured in several climbing documentaries. And get this, he served as a member of the European Parliament. Is there anything Messner can’t do?