EXCLUSIVE: Benjamin Norris (Abbott Elementary) has wrapped a starring role opposite Critics Choice Award winner Emile Hirsch in In Tandem, an adventure thriller we first reported on in 2021, which marks Hirsch’s feature writing debut.
While specifics as to Norris’ character weren’t disclosed, In Tandem centers on two former high school pals who reconnect at a rock-climbing gym. Inspired by the award-winning documentary The Dawn Wall, they decide to climb a real mountain together, despite the fact that they lack any real-world climbing experience. While dangling off the side of a cliff, their past conflicts begin to emerge, though they are forced to rely on one another to survive.
The film will also features appearances by climbing icons Alex Honnold — subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo — and Brette Harrington (The Alpinist).
Shot in Montana and Oregon, it’s directed by Luc Walpoth, a Swiss filmmaker who just recently directed Hirsch in Dead Money, a poker thriller released stateside by Samuel Goldwyn Films, which also stars Rory Culkin, Peter Facinelli and David Keith.
“In Tandem is a story that explores the limits of trust, endurance, and survival at extreme altitudes,” said producer Giovanni J. Guidotti of Vanitas Vanitatum Entertainment, which fully financed the project. “Working alongside the exceptional talents of Benjamin, Emile, and Luc has been an unforgettable experience – I’m thrilled to bring this audacious, nail-biting, action-packed thriller to life.”
In addition to Guidotti, Dwjuan Fox produced for Decipher Entertainment.
Recently seen recurring as good-natured Philadelphia school district rep Simon on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, Norris is also known for his role of Sherman Oaks High student Trent Harrison in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever, and for his work in the second season of Disney+’s Andor. He’s also previously appeared in NBC’s Superstore and will be seen coming up in the indie horror-thriller Corporate Retreat.
Other credits for Walpoth include his debut feature Baby Money, which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival and was distributed worldwide by Blue Fox Entertainment, and the drama Peripheric Love.
Norris is repped by Paradigm and Strig Artist Management; Hirsch by UTA and Stride Management; and Walpoth by Source Management and Production.