Genesius Pictures Announce Jeff Pope Penned Wim Hof Film THE ICE MAN [w/t] With Joseph Fiennes Set To Star As Dutch Extreme Athlete Hof

Joseph Fiennes to star as Dutch extreme athlete Hof

Award-winning production company Genesius Pictures have announced their next movie, The Ice Man [w/t] – the story of Dutch extreme athlete and pioneer Wim Hof. Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love, The Handmaid’s Tale) will star as Hof, in a script written by Jeff Pope (Philomena, Stan & Ollie), and Genesius Pictures’ Debbie Gray (Northern Soul, Mrs Lowry & Son) will produce.

Wim Hof got his nickname “The Iceman” by breaking a number of records related to cold exposure including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes. Wim has made it his mission to share what he’s learned with the rest of the world and developed the Wim Hof Method: a combination of breathing, cold therapy and commitment that offers a range of benefits. He teaches people from all over the world, from celebrities and professional athletes, to people of all ages, to control their body and mind and achieve extraordinary things.

Joseph Fiennes said “To carry the incredible Wim Hof message and to bring the extraordinary journey of the Ice Man to the greater consciousness is a unique privilege. Coupling that with Jeff Pope, one of the most illustrious screen writers in the business to tell this story is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m beyond thrilled to participate in. Knowing that the creative experience is championed by the wonderful producer Debbie Gray is the support one could only dream of.”

Jeff Pope said “‘Wim is like an iceberg. There’s a little bit we all know about him poking above the water - the bit that tells us to ‘breathe, motherfu**er’. But there is so much more to his story that this project will explore. His has been a life full of tragedy, exploration, perseverance and, ultimately, redemption. Now is the right moment for Wim-time.”

Wim Hof said “Finally the method and the story behind it, the journey of one man, like you or me, is going to be revealed. Joseph Fiennes, a great interpreter of drama, will incorporate The Iceman Wim Hof. This is not top acting alone; it takes guts and glory to really do the roleplaying; life and death and back. The film will bring through real experiences and non-speculative understandings - a lifechanging feature film. Change is needed, change comes...Jeff Pope - the name says it all.”

Genesius Pictures’ recent projects include BAFTA nominated Northern Soul, which starred Josh Whitehouse and Steve Coogan, and award-winning The More You Ignore Me, written by Jo Brand and starring Sheridan Smith. Their most recent film was Mrs Lowry & Son, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall, which went on to become one of the highest grossing independent films at the UK box office last year. The company is also currently in production on a feature documentary, directed by BAFTA and Emmy Award winning Kate Blewett. In May 2020 Genesius launched the Australian development, production and distribution company The Reset Collective alongside Cornerstone Films and distribution executive Lisa Garner.

Joseph Fiennes stars in the award-winning The Handmaid’s Tale opposite Elizabeth Moss, Max Minghella and Ann Dowd for Hulu / MGM Television. He has received an Emmy and two SAG Award nominations for his performance as Fred Waterford. Fiennes followed his critically praised performances in the Oscar-nominated films Elizabeth and John Madden's Shakespeare in Love with lead roles in Jean-Jacques Annaud's Enemy At The Gates, Eric Till's Luther, Rupert Wyatt's The Escapist, The Merchant Of Venice with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons, and Ryan Murphy’s Running With Scissors. More recently, Joseph played leading roles in features Risen from Sony alongside Tom Felton and Peter Firth and Strangerland opposite Nicole Kidman. Further television credits include starring as Monsignor Timothy Howard opposite Jessica Lange in the Emmy-nominated FX mini-series American Horror Story: Asylum.

Jeff Pope is an award-winning writer for film and television, whose credits including Philomena, which starred Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, for which he picked up Academy Award, Golden Globe, BIFA and London Critics Circle nominations and BAFTA and Venice Film Festival wins for Best Adapted Screenplay. Other movie work includes Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman; Essex Boys and, most recently, the BAFTA nominated Stan & Ollie. His work on TV includes the BAFTA-winning ITV drama Mrs Biggs; the multi-award winning Dirty, Filthy Love; Bafta winner Cilla and Lucan. As a producer, Jeff has helmed a number of award-winning dramas including Mo, a bio-pic based on the life of politician Mo Mowlam; the BAFTA winning See No Evil - The Moors Murders; Appropriate Adult, which earned five BAFTA awards as well as a Golden Globe nomination and, most recently, acclaimed BBC1 drama The Moorside and ITV dramas Little Boy Blue, Hatton Garden and A Confession.

The Ice Man is written by Jeff Pope. Producer is Debbie Gray for Genesius Pictures, together with Joseph Fiennes and Jeff Pope who will serve as executive producers.