First Look: Jason Clarke braves the elements in 'Everest'

Jason Clarke faced terrorists in “Zero Dark Thirty” and hedonists in “The Great Gatsby,” now he’s ready to face the ultimate challenge: Mount Everest.

One of two dueling studio projects about the world’s tallest peak, “Everest” stars Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal and John Hawkes (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”) as members of two different expeditions attempted to scale the monster in the face of fierce snowstorms and seemingly impossible obstacles.

Universal announced the start of principal photography by releasing the very first still from the film. It looks really cold.

Take a look at Clarke braving the storm below:

It also stars Emily Watson, Martin Henderson (“The Ring”), Michael Kelly (“House of Cards”) and Thomas M. Wright “The Bridge”). Baltasar Kormákur (“2 Guns”) is directing, while Working Title”s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner producing, alongside Cross Creek”s Brian Oliver and Tyler Thompson, as well as Nicky Kentish Barnes (“About Time”). Mark Medoff (“Children of a Lesser God”) and Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy (“Slumdog Millionaire”) wrote the script.

“Everest” will shoot on location at the base of Everest in Nepal, as well as in the Italian Alps and at Cinecittà Studios in Rome and Pinewood Studios in the UK.

Meanwhile, Sony is planning their own big screen expedition up the same mountain in an as-yet-untitled film directed by Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity”). It will tell center on Sir George Mallory’s famed initial expedition up the peak in the 1920s. Tom Hardy was attached to star, but later dropped out of the film.

This “Everest” opens February 27, 2015.

First Look: Jason Clarke braves the elements in ‘Everest’