You know the expression, “where tragedy strikes a pot of gold lies?” Okay, maybe I just made that up, but with good reason. (And there is that thing about the Chinese word for tragedy/crisis, so…) There is an increasingly growing trend in Hollywood to produce movies based on real life tragedies. Anyone remember a little film from 1997, Titanic? (Not to mention the slew of 9/11 cash-ins.) So is anyone really surprised that the Chilean Miners have just secured a movie deal?
You might have followed the story closely, from when the miners were trapped 2,300 feet below, to their emotional televised rescue, and the later interviews about their ordeal. Yet, you still don’t have a clue, sucker! Los 33, as the miners were nicknamed, have said there are details about what happened while they were buried underneath the Earth’s surface that they will never speak of. Until they get a movie deal with big shot Hollywood producer Mike Medavoy, that is.
Medavoy executive produced the films In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) and Black Swan (2010). The addition of Jose Rivera, screenwriter of The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), gives us hope that it will be honest portrayal of the hardship endured by Los 33. As Hollywood continues to cash in on misfortune, we look forward to seeing talented Latin actors take the roles of the Chilean Miners, and not, you know, not-Latinos.
Released shortly after the rescue of Los 33, here is a hilarious reminder of what we hope the film won’t be like.