Author calls Everest movie 'total bull'

Michael Kelly plays journalist Jon Krakauer in the movie Everest.

The author of a book about a 1996 climbing disaster that claimed eight lives says a recent movie about the incident is "total bull".

Jon Krakauer says Everest, the acclaimed film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin, isn't a true reflection of what happened on the mountain.

"Anyone who goes to that movie and wants a fact-based account should read (Krakauer's 1997 bestseller) Into Thin Air," he tells the Los Angeles Times.

The film, and Krakauer's book, document the disaster in which eight climbers - including Kiwi Rob Hall - died after getting trapped in a sudden storm.

In the film, Krakauer - who was on the mountain following Hall's party while researching an article for Outside Magazine - is played by Michael Kelly.

But Krakauer urges anyone who wants to know what really happened on Mt Everest to read his book instead of watching the film.

Krakauer tells the LA Times he wasn't asked for his input into Everest, says he wasn't approached by Kelly during filming, and he wasn't invited to the film's set.

Director Baltasar Kormákur defended his movie to the LA Times, saying he had four advisors who were there during the disaster assist him with the movie.

"The writers and I tried to look at things from a fair point of view without choosing sides," Kormákur said.

Everest has received mostly widespread acclaim, with a 73 per cent approval rating on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.

- nzherald.co.nz