Martin Scorsese Producing Film on Tragic 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche
The end of March will mark 43 years since one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history struck Alpine Meadows, now known as Alpine Base Area at Palisades Tahoe. The disaster, which claimed seven lives and left many injured, is now set to be the subject of an upcoming film produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
Scorsese, alongside Randall Emmett and Convergence Entertainment, is producing Wall of White, a drama centered on lone survivor Anna Conrad and the heroic first responders who fought against impossible odds to save lives.
The film will be based on the 2022 documentary Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche by Jared Drake and Steven Sig, as well as Jennifer Woodlief’s book, A Wall of White: The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a Deadly Avalanche.
The events of March 31, 1982, were triggered by a massive 3,200-foot avalanche, which swept across Alpine Meadows after a powerful snowstorm dropped 87 inches of snow in the five days prior. The avalanche destroyed buildings, damaged the lodge, flipped snowcats, and buried multiple victims under a mountain of snow and debris.
“Jared and Steven crafted an extraordinary documentary,” Emmett told Deadline. “That film, along with Jennifer’s phenomenal book, had a powerful impact on me.”
Production for Wall of White is expected to begin in late 2025. Scorsese’s past films include Killers of the Flower Moon, The Irishman, and The Departed, which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
