The news story that captivated people for weeks is officially going to be a movie. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Pure Flix Entertainment has already optioned the story of the Thai soccer team being rescued from a cave. The CEO of Pure Flix, Michael Scott, lives part time in Thailand and was able to witness some of the rescue.
"The bravery and heroism I've witnessed is incredibly inspiring, so, yes, this will be a movie for us," Scott told THR.
Wednesday morning, news broke that all 12 boys and their soccer coach had been successfully rescued from the cave where they'd been stranded for almost three weeks. Eight of the boys are still under quarantine as doctors examine them for infection. Their story, reported around the world, has been a harrowing ordeal, and a film seemed inevitable, especially after the successful rescue. Being on the scene, Scott claims to have firsthand access to the divers responsible for extracting the team. With the film, he hopes to "honour" those involved, including Saman Kunan, the Thai Navy SEAL who died preparing the rescue route for the boys.
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Says Scott, "This isn't just about a movie, it's about honouring everybody involved, including the soldier who died." The movie, which Scott hopes to shoot in Thailand, will likely be released under Pure Flix's banner Pinnacle Peak.
Pure Flix is a production company and distributor with a focus on faith-based films. The production company is responsible for the 2018 sequel to Angelina Jolie's 2014 film Unbroken as well as the 2018 iteration of Little Women. Additionally, the company produces the God's Not Dead franchise. God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness, the third in the series, arrived in cinemas this March. (Fun fact: It stars John Corbett, aka Aidan from Sex and the City.)
Scott stressed to THR that the movie would not necessarily involve religion. "It's not necessary to make this a Christian film, just an inspirational one," he said.
Refinery29 has reached out to representation for Scott for additional comment.