Keira Knightley cast as mountaineer's widow in upcoming flick 'Everest'

Keira Knightley is all set to join the star-studded cast of 'Everest' where she'll play the wife of late mountaineer Rob Hall, it has been revealed.

According to Stuff.co.nz, the film will retell the tragic expedition to Mt Everest that killed five people, including climbers from New Zealand - Rob Hall and Andy Harris - in 1996.

The 28-year-old actress will reconstruct the touching phone calls that Hall and his then-pregnant wife Jan Arnold exchanged while he was trapped on the mountain.

Arnold, who assisted in the making of the film, had previously said that she believes the story, which shows bravery, ambition and humanity, is worth telling, and though there have been several films on the incident, she feels this one will be different.

The film will star Jason Clarke as Rob Hall, Martin Henderson as Andy Harris along with Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fisher, Josh Brolin and Sam Worthington.

The film is being produced by Working Title and is anticipated to release early in 2015.