Another Thai cave rescue movie in the works from director Jon M. Chu
It’s been barely 48 hours since the last of the Wild Boars boys soccer team were rescued from those caves in Thailand, and there’s already a second movie about the harrowing ordeal in the works. While the first one to be announced comes from faith-based production company Pure Flix Entertainment, this second planned adaptation is the result of a collaboration between Thailand’s Navy and government and Ivanhoe Pictures. And it comes with a zero whitewashing guarantee.
Ivanhoe has tapped Jon M. Chu, director of the upcoming Crazy Rich Asians, to helm the project (via Variety). If you somehow missed every television or news outlet over the last two weeks, the story centers on the 12 members of a boys soccer team and their coach who were trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand for 18 days. The last four players and the 25-year-old coach were rescued on Tuesday. As an Asian story, both Ivanhoe president John Penotti and Chu felt it was important to have an Asian filmmaker tell it.
In a tweet announcing his involvement, Chu said he refuses “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.” Guess that means ScarJo is out of contention!
A subsequent series of passionate tweets emphasized his desire to make the movie:
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
Its a bit early 2truly discuss but the biggest lesson I learned frm making #CrazyRichAsians is that we must tell our stories especially the important ones so history doesnt get it wrong.This one is too important 2 let others dictate who the real heroes are https://t.co/ZmnSBFvPI3
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 12, 2018
We have the power to not only MAKE history but be the historians that RECORD it too. So that it’s told correctly and respectfully. Couldn’t just sit here watching how others would “interpret” this important story. https://t.co/kRv5k9plDU
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 12, 2018
Those days of letting it happen are over. Never again. We have arrived. And we aren’t playing.
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 12, 2018
Pure Flix’s version of the story has a budget between $30 and $60 million and will come under the Pinnacle Peak banner. The company’s CEO, Michael Scott (for real), is currently shopping for screen writers with co-producers Adam Smith and Kaos Entertainment. No such details are available yet for Chu’s take.
