National Geographic Entertainment has acquired The Wildest Dream, Anthony Geffen’s account of mountaineer George Mallory’s obsession with Everest.

The film will open under the National Geographic World Films label in 2010 in IMAX and conventional theatres in the US and on IMAX overseas.

Liam Neeson narrates the film, which features the voices of Ralph Fiennes as George Mallory, the late Natasha Richardson as Ruth Mallory, Hugh Dancy as Mallory’s fellow climber Andrew Irvine, and Alan Rickman as Noel Odell, the last person to see Mallory alive. Geffen produced with Claudia Perkins and Mike Medavoy served as executive producer.

National Geographic has acquired two other films this year and releases Sundance hit Amreeka this weekend in four theatres. It recently picked up Toronto entry City Of Life And Death.

“We are thrilled to release The Wildest Dream, which captures one of history’s greatest feats of exploration and mountaineering,” Lisa Truitt, president of National Geographic Cinema Ventures, said.

“The film tells a gripping story from many different perspectives — from that of George Mallory and his beloved wife, Ruth, to the modern climbers who follow Mallory’s last footsteps, seeking to solve the enduring mystery of his last ascent of Everest.”