Thirteen Lives, Imagine Entertainment and MGM’s live-action feature film about the gripping true story of the 2018 rescue of a boys’ soccer team from a cave in Thailand and directed by Academy Award® winner Ron Howard, will be produced on the Gold Coast.
Set to captivate audiences around the world, it’s estimated Thirteen Lives will employ more than 275 Queensland cast and crew and would pump $45 million into the local economy.
“The Gold Coast is one of few places in the world where the screen industry is booming,” as said by Queensland Premier.
Centred on a group of divers from around the world, including Australia and the UK, who unite with the Thai community to achieve the seemingly impossible rescue mission, the film charts a harrowing journey of human spirit, courage and volunteerism against immeasurable odds.
The live-action feature film by Imagine Entertainment and MGM, and produced by Academy Award® winner Brian Grazer, P.J. van Sandwijk, Gabrielle Tana and Karen Lunder, is coming to the Gold Coast with support from the Queensland Government’s Production Attraction Strategy.
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said Thirteen Lives would recount one of those rare moments in our shared history when the world held its collective breath and hoped for the safe emergence of the twelve boys and their coach.
“For a production of such profile and international interest, led by legendary director Ron Howard, to be filming in Queensland is testament to our burgeoning reputation as a location of first choice for blockbuster feature films and TV series,” Ms Munnich said.
“Screen Queensland is excited to be welcoming Thirteen Lives to the production paradise that is Queensland, and is proud of the high number of local cast and crew that will be employed on the project.”
Director Ron Howard said, “I would like to thank Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Screen Queensland for their support of Thirteen Lives. I am thrilled to bring this film to Queensland and to work with many talented and skilled Australian artists over the coming months.”
MGM’s President of Physical Production Michele Imperato has expressed thanks as well.
Imagine Entertainment and MGM’s Thirteen Lives will be distributed in Australia by Universal Pictures International.
