Antonio Banderas will star in The 33, a joint Chilean-American effort, led by Mexican director Patricia Riggen (La Misma Luna).
The Zorro performer is set to portray the role of Mario Sepulveda, a charismatic miner known as ‘Super Mario’ who de facto host of the miners’ video journals from underground.
Martin Sheen and Rodrigo Santoro (300) are also set to star in The 33, the story of the 2010 Copiapó mining accident written by Mikko Alanne and Jose Rivera that will be brought to the big screen for the first time.
Santoro will star as the group’s second-in-command, Florencio Ávalos who was selected as the first miner to ride the rescue capsule to the surface in case of complications during the 15-minute ascent.
Sheen’s role has yet to be revealed.
The incident in the Atacama Desert, when a cave-in left 33 miners trapped underground for 69 days, attracted global news coverage three years ago and drew over 1 billion viewers worldwide.
The film is set to start filming this fall in Chile.
Perhaps best known as the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek films, Banderas will also voice Sir Clorex in Justin and the Knights of Valour and will next be seen in Robert Rodriguez’ Machete Kills, a film from director Robert Rodriguez which marks Lady GaGa‘s big-screen debut.
