By It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a full year since the 33 Chilean miners were tragically trapped underground. Mike Medavoy (Black Swan, Shutter Island) has successfully reached an agreement with the representatives of the 33 Chilean miners to produce a film about their story, which will be adapted by Academy Award nominated screenwriter José Rivera (Motorcycle Diaries). It’s hard to imagine how they’ll work a 69 day tale into a single film, but Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Héctor Tobar is already writing an official book on the events, and he plans to use unpublished details from one miner’s diary.
Medavoy describes the rescue at Copiapó as “A story about the triumph of the human spirit and a testament to the courage and perseverance of the Chilean people. I can’t think of a better story than this one to bring to the screen.” Not only are Chilean entrepreneurs Carlos Eugenio Lavín and Leopoldo Enriquez signing on as executive producers, but Lavin is actually a childhood friend of Medavoy, who lived in Chile from 1947 to 1957.
For those who were worried that Brad Pitt’s production company would get the rights to this story, this is all very reassuring news. I’m less afraid that white actors will be used, but I’m still scared that well known names will find their way onto the credits list. Slumdog Millionaire might not be a great example of post release affairs, but it is a great example that many unknown actors are just waiting to be discovered if they’re only given a chance.
[Via Deadline]