Thai Cave Rescue Drama for Netflix

Netflix has lined up the new limited series Thai Cave Rescue, which dramatizes the true stories of the Tham Luang mission.

Filmed entirely in Thailand, the show features exclusive insights from the young members of the Wild Boars football team who were trapped inside the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand in 2018 and their experiences at the limit of human endurance, as well as the experiences of their families and the global team that came together to save them.

Created by Michael Russell Gunn (Billions, Designated Survivor) and Dana Ledoux Miller (Designated Survivor, Narcos), the six-episode limited series is directed by Baz Poonpiriya (One for the Road, Bad Genius) and Kevin Tancharoen (The Brothers Sun, The Book of Boba Fett, Warrior). Both directors also serve as executive producers alongside Jon M. Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) and Lance Johnson (Troop Zero, The Equalizer) for Electric Somewhere; John Penotti (Crazy Rich Asians) for SK Global Entertainment; John Logan Pierson (Spenser Confidential, Patriots Day, Dare Me); and Tim Coddington (Mulan, Crazy Rich Asians, Marco Polo).

The series debuts on September 22.

Poonpiriya said, “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 lives beyond the operation remain largely outside the public spotlight. I am very proud to have this opportunity to tell the stories behind the faces and names we have come to know well over the course of this world-famous rescue operation.”

Tancharoen said: “As a Thai American, I feel so incredibly fortunate to help tell this story through the lens and soul of the Thai people. I wanted to bring my experience of telling big superhero stories to the real world. One where real-life superheroes worked together for a common cause regardless of where they were from, and the only superpowers are the perseverance of the human spirit and what we can accomplish when we work together.”

Showrunner, writer and executive producer Michael Russell Gunn added: “For us, Thai Cave Rescue is ultimately a story about family and what we decide family should be. From the boys’ own parents and guardians to thousands of local and international rescuers joining the mission, this was the entire world coming together as one big family. We intended for the show to cover not just the rescue operation but also what the Wild Boars went through inside the cave, and we believe our focus on achieving authenticity—from characters and languages to locations and emotions—will shine through and make an impact on viewers worldwide through Netflix.”

Dana Ledoux Miller, co-showrunner, co-writer and executive producer, said: “We began writing this show at the beginning of Covid-19 lockdowns in the United States. It became an unlikely source of comfort to tell a story that is such a poignant reminder that even though we are so often defined by our differences—in language, belief or socioeconomic status—hope and resilience of the human spirit are universal. When it comes down to it, we are all at the mercy of nature.”