The Vertical Limit

[Action/Adventure, 2000]

[Nick filming THE VERTICAL LIMIT]
Nick filming in New Zealand


Nicholas Lea plays Tom McLaren, a mountain guide who leads the expedition in which Bill Paxton's and Robin Tunney's characters are climbing K2. He is trapped, injured, in an ice cave with them after an avalanche, while Chris O'Donnell's character mounts a heroic rescue mission (because Robin Tunney's character is his sister).


The production company auctioned off props and costumes from the movie, as a promotional thing. Nick's jacket was a very hot item:

Nicholas Lea's brown jacket: $2,251.00

Chris O'Donnell's yellow jacket: $305.00

Bill Paxton's blue suit: $260.00

Robin Tunney's red jacket: $410.75


From Hollywood Reporter, July 1, 1999: Bill Paxton and Nicholas Lea are climbing onto Columbia Pictures' THE VERTICAL LIMIT. Chris O'Donnell also stars in the thriller, which is directed by Martin Campbell. Paxton is in final negotiations to portray a mountain-climbing billionaire whose inexperience collides with his arrogance while climbing treacherous K2. Lea (best known as THE X-FILES' villain Alex Krycek) will play Tom, the leader of Paxton's group, which becomes trapped and must be rescued by O'Donnell. The film, which also stars Robin Tunney and Scott Glenn, is scheduled to begin production in New Zealand on Aug. 2.


Queenstown, New Zealand, August 9, 1999 - Columbia Pictures began principal photography this week on the tentatively-titled The Vertical Limit, an action-adventure directed by Martin Campbell and starring Chris O'Donnell, Bill Paxton and Robin Tunney.

The Vertical Limit is an original screenplay by Robert King who also serves as producer with Lloyd Phillips, Martin Campbell and Marcia Nasatir.

The film traces the story of a young, ambitious mountain climber (O'Donnell) who become estranged from his sister (Tunney) and retires from the sport after they are involved in the tragic death of their father in a climbing accident. Three years later, when his sister and other members of her summit team become trapped on K2, the second highest mountain in the world, he must go back into action and mount an extraordinary rescue effort in a race against time to save them. The movie also stars Scott Glenn, Izabella Scorupco and Temuera Morrison.

Shooting by production company Mountain High Productions, Ltd. will take place in New Zealand in the Queenstown and Mt. Cook areas from August through December.


Films in Production (from The Hollywood Reporter, Sept. 28-Oct 4 issue)

Columbia Pictures

Vertical Limit (Action/Thriller)
Columbia Pictures/Mountain High Prods.
Stanley Ballarat Sts
Queenstown
64-3442-9811
Fax: 3442-9844

Shooting in New Zealand (Start August 2, 1999)

Cast: Chris O'Donnell, Scott Glenn, Robin Tunney, Bill Paxton, Izabella Scorupio, Temuera Morrison, Nicholas Lea, Alexander Sidding, Steve LeMarquand, Ben Menelsohn Prd: Lloyd Phillips, Marcia Nasatir, Martin Campbell, Robert King

AsPrd: Phil Patterson, Amy Lescoe Dir: Martin Campbell Scr: Robert King DP: David Tattersall Ed: Thom Noble UPM: Lloyd Phillips AD: Phil Patterson PrdDsgn: Jan Bunker Art: Kim Sinclair Cstm: Graciela Mazon PrdCoord: Susan Parker SFX: Neil Corbould Snd: Kathleen Cusack Cstg: Pam Dixon Publ: Sue May U.S. Dstrb: Sony Pictures



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