The filmmaker to be awarded the official rights to produce a movie about the rescue of the 12 Wild Boars footballers and their coach will be named in two months, according to the government.
The government is in the process of selecting a production company to be granted the official rights to produce a film based on the dramatic rescue of the team.
The statement was made on Monday by deputy government spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak in his capacity as spokesman for the committee handling media affairs on behalf of the young football team based in Chiang Rai.
So far, two foreign filmmakers have been shortlisted for the final round of negotiations before the committee finally decides which of them should be granted the official rights to produce a film about the young footballers and their coach.
The 13 "Wild Boars" were trapped in the partially flooded Tham Luang cave complex in Chiang Rai in late June last year and rescued in early July in an operation that gained worldwide coverage.
The names of the two shortlisted filmmakers could not be revealed for the time being for the sake of business confidentiality, said Lt Gen Werachon.
These two companies meet certain criteria for producing the film. A key condition is the film must not negatively impact the lives of those involved and their families, he said.
Lt Gen Werachon added that the filmmakers must not embellish or distort facts about the incident and the rescue operation or excessively dramatise the story.
Any request to interview the 13 youths or document their lives will be denied while the committee considers the rival bids, he said.
However, they are allowed to accept invitations to appear at public events, he said.
An unofficial movie adaptation of the rescue, by Thai-born director Tom Waller, is due for release in July.
