Famous movie director Ron Howard has shared insight into how the idea of filming ‘Thirteen Lives’ came about and why it was a “gift”.

In June and July of 2018, a junior association football team was rescued from the Tham Luang Nang Non-cave in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand.

Twelve members of the team, aged eleven to sixteen, and their 25-year-old assistant coach entered the cave on June 23 after a football practice session.

Shortly afterward, heavy rainfall partially flooded the cave system, blocking their way out and trapping them deep within.

Mr Howard told Deborah Knight originally he didn’t know how to make a film out of the story until the news across the world picked up and a script came across his desk from someone asking to do the story justice.

“It was a little bit late in picking up momentum but it was a massive story,” he said.

“It really took me no time to realise this was a gift for me.”

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