Another Hollywood blockbuster is set to film on the Gold Coast with acclaimed director Ron Howard at the helm of the upcoming movie about the 2018 Thai cave rescue
The Gold Coast has secured yet another Hollywood blockbuster, with filming set to begin on the Ron Howard movie early next year.
According to a report by the Gold Coast Bulletin on Friday, the 66-year-old award-winning director will be at the helm of Thirteen Lives, a biopic about the incredible 2018 Thai cave rescue.
The federal government has pledged $13million in funding for the project, as part of its Location Incentive program to bring film productions to Australia.
Hollywood at home: The Gold Coast has secured yet another Hollywood blockbuster, with filming set to begin on the Ron Howard (pictured at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars party in LA in February) movie early next year
Filming is set to begin in Queensland in March, with the Gold Coast hinterland doubling for Thailand.
The film will tell the story of the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 young boys and their soccer coach after they ventured deep into a cave which later became flooded.
The incredible rescue mission made global news headlines, after the boys embarked on an outing exploring the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai.
Incredible: The film will tell the story of the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 young boys and their soccer coach after they ventured deep into a cave which later became flooded
It took two weeks to rescue them, with more than 1,000 divers, soldiers and volunteers helping out.
Production of the film is expected to inject more than $96million into the local economy, and will create jobs for 435 cast and crew members, as well as an additional 3,400 background actors.
Speaking about the upcoming project, Ron said he was thrilled to be filming in Australia.
Coming soon: Speaking about the upcoming project, Ron (pictured at a Tom Ford fashion show in LA in February 2020) said he was thrilled to be filming in Australia
‘Over the years, I’ve both enjoyed and creatively benefited from collaborations with Australian artists and technicians in front of and behind the camera, from Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Chris Hemsworth to John Seale, Donald McAlpine and Andrew Rowlands and many others,’ he said.
‘From Thirteen Lives to the animated projected I am directing with Animal Logic in Australia, I am excited about the opportunity to film and work in Australia and dramatically expand on that list of collaborators whose sensibilities and work ethic I have long admired and respected.’
It’s another win for the local film industry, after it was announced that the upcoming Chris Hemsworth thriller, Escape from Spiderhead, would also be filmed on the Gold Coast, with a slew of other projects currently in production around the country.
Difficult mission: It took two weeks to rescue them, with more than 1,000 divers, soldiers and volunteers helping out