Director Ron Howard's fact-based film 'Thirteen Lives' shows heroic, daring cave rescue in Thailand

HOLLYWOOD -- The new movie "Thirteen Lives" is based on the true story of a rescue mission that gripped the world. In Thailand in 2018, 12 boys and their soccer coach became trapped in a system of underground caves. Then came the heavy rain... and massive flooding that had them trapped.

For 18 days, the world watched as rescue divers tried to save the "Thirteen Lives" in the most challenging of circumstances. Ron Howard directed the film which not only depicts the heroic rescue efforts of the divers... but also the selflessness of others and the true meaning of community.

"It's an object lesson in what human beings can achieve when they put aside the divisiveness and the politics and just agree to get something done," said Howard.

Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton and Viggo Mortensen are part of the cast.

"This is the best of us and to be part of telling that was an honor," said Mortensen.

But telling it was no easy task. There were plenty of safety drivers on set...but for the actors spending a lot of time underwater, it was grueling-and then some!

"George, I was a nervous wreck for quite a bit of it," said Farrell. "I would say, I would honestly say 25% of my stuff underwater, I was incredibly uncomfortable doing and the other 75% I was only mildly uncomfortable. We were still swimming in very tight spaces. There was pinch points that you had to grab rock and pull yourself through. We were still fully masked, fully tanked, all that stuff, but it felt dangerous because it was."

The rescuers find the boys...but trying to figure out how to get them out alive is what plays out here. You feel the anxiety.

"I spend a good amount of my time in water but usually above it, not under it and not with zero visibility and not with a hundred pieces of equipment carrying a human being through an obstacle course so, you know, I had my moments," said Edgerton.

"Thirteen Lives" is in theatres now and heads to Prime Video on Friday, Aug. 5.