Pure Flix, the US faith-based film company behind the God’s Not Dead franchise as well as films including The Case for Christ, is reportedly seeking the movie rights to the story of the Thai cave rescue.
Twelve teenage boys and their soccer coach were rescued in small groups from a cave system in Chiang Rai province after entering three weeks ago and becoming trapped when sections of the system flooded. The rescue operation, which was an international effort which involved expert divers from around the world, was followed across Thailand and around the world.
Pure Flix’s CEO and co-founder Michael Scott lives in Thailand for part of the year and helped out at the cave rescue site. In a video posted to Facebook, he said he “could not be more excited” after hearing the boys had been rescued.
“This story has meant so much to me as I followed it…To see all that bravery in the cave and then to get all the divers out, it has been such a touching event and so personal to me.”
He said the story touched him partly because his wife grew up with former Thai Navy SEAL, Sgt Saman Kunan, who died when working as a volunteer with rescuers.
“We’re here looking at this as a movie that could inspire millions of people around the globe. We’re just kind of here witnessing the events, gathering some contacts and everything to really tell a story about an international effort, the entire world coming together to save 13 kids trapped in this Thai cave on the Chinese-Burma border up here in the Golden Triangle. It’s an incredible story”
Discussions with actors, writers and investors are reportedly already underway. The Hollywood Reporter put the budget at between $US30 and $US60 million.
