Thai cave rescue to be told in Netflix series

A dramatic Thai cave rescue that gripped the world in 2018 will get its story told as a Netflix series, an announcement made on Tuesday.

The name of the series and the release date has not yet been unveiled.

“Like the rest of the world, we were riveted by the news of the Thai cave rescue,’’ Jon M Chu, a director of the project, who is best known for the 2018 romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians,” said at a press conference in Bangkok.

“Which is why, with the support of the Thai Government and our partners at Netflix, SK Global and Starlight, we are honoured and grateful to be able to share the full story of this massive, international effort,’’ he added.

On June 23, a dozen boys aged 11 to 16 and their football coach visited Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non Cave in Chiang Rai province, 1,000 kilometres north of Bangkok.

They were trapped inside for more than two weeks after a flash flood blocked their only exit, leading to Thailand’s biggest ever rescue operation and involving thousands of people from many countries.

The group became minor international celebrities after miraculously surviving the ordeal and being successfully rescued against a strong flood current.

They appeared on CBS’ “The Ellen Show” and played a friendly match at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in October.

Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment service with over 148 million paid memberships worldwide.

Apart from the Netflix series, a Thai film titled “The Cave” is in the works and will be launched in July to coincide with the anniversary of the mission. (dpa/NAN)