Before the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a Thailand cave was even a day old, Hollywood already had two movie projects in the works. This is how it works now. The Chilean miner movie The 33 was put in development while they were still stuck, and this isn’t much different. According to Variety, Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu will take the helm of the second rescue film, in hopes of preventing Hollywood from whitewashing the story.
So no role for Scarlett Johansson then? Maybe she can be part of the recue op? Or a PR rep?
I refuse to let Hollywood #whitewashout the Thai Cave rescue story! No way. Not on our watch. That won’t happen or we’ll give them hell. There’s a beautiful story abt human beings saving other human beings. So anyone thinking abt the story better approach it right & respectfully.— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 11, 2018
This comes a day after the faith-based studio PureFlix announced plans for their own movie centered on the rescue. I’m guessing that one will have all the whitewashing an exec can buy. In fact, its CEO Michael Scott practically promised it, saying it would be “a major Hollywood film with A-list stars.”
Chu’s film will be quite different, though. He’s teaming up with Ivanhoe Pictures to tell the story of the international rescue mission that captured the world’s attention. The soccer team and their coach were trapped inside Thailand’s Tham Luang Cave for two weeks due to rising flood waters. The dangerous rescue operation involved more than 100 engineers and divers, with one volunteer diver, a former Thai navy SEAL, dying in the attempt.
