Netflix has announced an upcoming limited Thai series titled Thai Cave Rescue.
The Netflix Original series, which is set to arrive on the streaming platform on September 22, will be a “dramatized retelling” of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue operation that caught the attention of the world, while claiming to “achieve authenticity” per a press release.
In July 2018, 12 football players from the team called Wild Boars, aged between 11 to 16 and their coach, Ekapol Chanthawong were exploring the Tham Luang caves. However, heavy downpour that day resulted in the caves being flooded, trapping all of them inside – sparking panic and a worldwide coverage.
The upcoming series will explore how they were rescued, and will include exclusive insights from the kids who were trapped in the cave themselves.
It will be packaged into six episodes, which were all filmed in Thailand. It was created by Micheal Russell Gunn (Billions, Designated Survivor) and Dana Ledoux Miller (Designated Survivor, Narcos), and directed by Baz Poonpriya (Bad Genius) and Kevin Tancharoen (The Book of Boba Fett).
In a press release, Poonpiriya shared: “Thai Cave Rescue is the first opportunity for audiences worldwide to see the Tham Luang story in a new and more emotional light – centering the perspectives of the 12 Wild Boars, Coach Eak, and heroes like Saman “Ja Sam” Gunan, whose ives beyond the operation remain largely outside the public spotlight.”
The cast has also been revealed, and it will feature Papangkorn “Beam” Lerkchaleampote, who passed away in March of this year, as Coach Eak, as well as local actors to play as the 12 Wild Boars. International actors from the likes of Nicholas Bell, Nicholas Farnell and Christoper Stollery will play as the “key contributors in the rescue”.