Ron Howard, Colin Farrell on how spirituality impacted new film

In 2018, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, like millions worldwide, watched the media coverage of the 18-day search-and-rescue operation to save 12 members of a Thai junior football team and their coach who were trapped deep in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system amid rising flood water.

“The headlines do sort of offer up a great movie story,” the 68-year-old famed director told The Christian Post. “I thought there was great drama in that great suspense and that I can make a real movie movie out of the adventure side of it.”

Several years after that harrowing event, Howard was pitched a screenplay of the story — and was fascinated by the human interest aspect of it; the volunteerism of the Thai people, the bravery of the divers who rescued the team and…