Hollywood producers arrive at Thai cave rescue site for possible movie featuring A-list stars

Production expected to start in late 2019.

Belmont Lay | July 10, 2018, 02:33 PM

Talk about striking the iron while it's hot.

Hollywood is on Thai cave rescue

Two American producers have arrived at the foothills of the mountain cave system in Thailand, the site of possibly the most daring rescue operation currently underway.

Michael Scott, managing partner of Pure Flix films and co-producer Adam Smith have been conducting preliminary interviews around the Tham Luang cave site.

They are scouting for stories to make into a Hollywood movie as the Wild Boars youth football team and their coach are slowly being extracted from the labyrinthine cave system.

Potential box office hit

A final push is now underway to complete the rescue of the group of 13, who became trapped in the caves by rising flood waters more than two weeks ago.

The rescue has captured the attention of the international community.

The movie project is in anticipation of global box office success.

"I see this as a major Hollywood film with A-list stars," Scott said.

Interviews to be carried out

Scott and Smith plan to seek exclusive rights to stories, as they are planning on bringing in a screenwriter and interviewing key players from the team of foreign rescuers and Thai Navy Seals, the victims and their families.

Smith said in response to queries if their actions might be seen as insensitive at such a delicate time: "There's going to be other production companies coming in so we have to act pretty quickly."

At present, eight of the boys, aged 11 to 16 years, have successfully been guided out of the cave by a daisy chain of divers.

The journey takes the divers about 11 hours to get in and out through 4km of narrow, murky water-filled passages.

The remaining boys and coach will be the last to be rescued.

However, the producers are not rushing things.

Scott, who's married to a Thai woman and spends three months a year in Thailand, said they are not pressing people over the interviews.

"I've told them once this has died down let's really sit down and have a more in-depth interview on what's really happening," he said.

Story centred on British divers

Scott believes the cave rescue story, which will be centred around the two British divers who discovered the boys, is the perfect project for Pure Flix.

"This just kind of fit our DNA in terms of a really inspirational story," he said during an interview conducted late Monday.

"It's got incredible heart, incredible acts of heroism and bravery. It's just an incredible thing and we think it will inspire millions around the world."

Smith, who also runs KAOS Entertainment in Bangkok, said "it's apolitical, it has no agenda. Everyone is on the same page and everyone is rooting for them".

Scott said once a "name" screenwriter was on board production was expected to start production in late 2019.

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H/T news.com.au