The Iceman, a feature chronicling the true-life story of extreme athlete Wim Hof, has been put on hold following allegations of abuse made against Hof by his ex-partner.
Kevin Macdonald was set to direct and Joseph Fiennes to star in the project, which is produced by Genesius Pictures and sold internationally by Cornerstone.
A spokesperson for Genesius Pictures said: “Genesius Pictures can confirm that due to the severity of the allegations, this production, which was in development only and had not begun filming, is on hold.”
The project was first unveiled at the European Film Market in 2022 by Cornerstone. A spokesperson from Cornerstone had no comment, but confirmed that the project is on hold. In an interview with the Dutch newspaper
de Volkskrant Caroline, Hof’s former partner, claimed that he had verbally and physically abused her over a 10-year period. Their son Noah, as well as Christiaan, one of Hof’s step-sons, also made allegations. Their son Noah and one of Hof’s step-sons, Christiaan, also made allegations of verbal and physical abuse.Hof denies the allegations and says he is taking legal action against the newspaper, whilst his son Enahm (whose mother was Hof’s late first wife Olaya), in a statement to the BBC, defended his father and called the stories “painful and unbalanced”.
The Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete grabbed global attention for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures, which began as a way of dealing with the death of his wife and the struggles of raising four children alone.
Additional reporting by Mona Tabbara.
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