In this previous posting about the new film The 33, Gabriel Byrne’s role as André Sougarret, who engineered the rescue of the trapped miners, was outlined in detail, along with background information about the mining disaster and the making of the film.
The 33 was in post-production as of April 2, 2014 and a December-January release is rumored. Cross your fingers!
IonCinema: Top 200 Most Anticipated Films for 2014 (February 6, 2014) lists The 33 as one of its films to keep an eye on. 
A very timely article from Yahoo! Movies: Hispanic Audiences Are in the Driver’s Seat in Hollywood (June 9, 2014) informs us that this film is coming out at just the right moment.
So, now it is time to get to know the other actors who will be bringing this film to life–and the director and writers, too.
cast
Antonio Banderas as Mario Sepúlveda
Antonio Banderas is a familiar face to movie-goers the world over. From his work with Pedro Almodovar to his iconic take on Zorro and yes, Puss in Boots, Mr. Banderas has handled comedy, drama, and action with equal skill. He seems to be an organizing force behind this current film and it will be intriguing to see him take on the role of a real-life super-hero in The 33.
Mario Sepúlveda, known as Super Mario, led the miners out of the mine, yelling “Viva Chile!” He served as an extras-coordinator on the set of the film. Read more about him in this article from the Daily Mail.
Antonio Banderas and Mario Sepúlveda on the set of “The 33″
Cote de Pablo as the wife of miner Álex Vega
Cote de Pablo, born in Chile and instantly recognizable for her long-standing role in NCIS, is sure to bring her own brand of fireworks to this already star-studded ensemble cast.
Read more about her taking on this role at Deadline.com. The Cote de Pablo Network has provided a great article (translated from the Spanish) with more information about the film.
Here is a very brief interview with her about The 33:
Juliette Binoche as María Segovia
There is a lovely interview with Ms. Binoche in the Herald Scotland (June 7, 2014) that contains this tidbit about her role in The 33:
Binoche plays Maria Segovia, sister to one of the miners, whose vocal presence at the tent city that grew around the rescue site earned her the nickname The Mayoress; it’s a moniker that sort of fits the actress, too.
I’ve mentioned this interview before, but I love it:
The Telegraph UK, April 26, 2014: Juliette Binoche: ‘I choose stories that need to be told’: The French actress explains why her new film opens with a suicide bombing – and why her son made her take a part in Godzilla
Her previous films include The English Patient, for which she won an Academy Award, Damage, Three Colors (the Kieslowski trilogy), Chocolat, and Caché (directed by Michael Haneke). She has just completed work on another film with Gabriel Byrne: Nobody Wants the Night.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, Juliette Binoche, and Antonio Banderas
Lou Diamond Phillips as Luis Urzua ‘Don Lucho’
His work on Longmire has gained him a huge audience in recent days, and he has done tons of films, stage, and TV work over the years, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the film Stand and Deliver and a Tony nom for The King and I, which he is performing in Australia right now! I will always remember him for his break-out role in La Bamba (1987) and appreciate him for being a fellow Texan!
In The 33, Mr. Phillips plays Luis Uzura, who volunteered to be the last miner brought to the surface during the long rescue operation. Uzura was the foreman and the first to make contact with the outside world when the miners were trapped.
You can follow Lou Diamond Phillips on Twitter @LouDPhillips and I think that doing so will be very useful indeed:
Welcome new followers to The FOLD (Friends Of Lou Diamond) in time for the end of S3 of #Longmire and upcoming news of #The33! #GreatYear
— Lou Diamond Phillips (@LouDPhillips) August 1, 2014
Rodrigo Santoro as Laurence Golborne
Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro shot to fame and glory as the magnificent Xerxes in the film 300, based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel. He also had a role in Lost, that TV phenomenon that has always been a fan favorite.
Wikipedia tells us this about Laurence Golborne:
Golborne was appointed Minister of Mining on March 11, 2010 by President Sebastián Piñera. As minister, he oversaw the 2010 Copiapó mining accident rescue operations. His management of the rescue operation resulted in his becoming the most popular politician in Chile.
A video provided by MundoChileTV (in Spanish) from December 2013 focuses on Rodrigo Santoro and also brings us up-to-date on some of the casting for the film. It does not include Gabriel Byrne because he did not come on board until January 2014.
Rounding out this decidedly international cast are actors James Brolin, Jacob Vargas, Naomi Scott, and Bob Gunton. It will be so much fun to see them all bring these real people to life on the screen.
crew
Director Patricia Riggen
Patricia Riggen is a director and producer born in Mexico. She may be the only Mexican female director in the world! I think it is great that she will be able to bring her unique experience and cultural understanding to this complicated story, which involves not only the drama of the rescue of the miners, but the effects of the ordeal on their families and friends as well.
Her previous films include Under the Same Moon and Girl in Progress. She received her Master’s degree in directing and screenwriting at Columbia University in New York City.
writers
Several people have been involved in the screenplay for The 33, according to IMDB.
Mikko Alanne
Mikko Alanne (Screenplay)
Mikko Alanne is a screenwriter and documentary filmmaker best known for penning director Oliver Stone’s upcoming Vietnam war drama Pinkville. Alanne most recently wrote The 33, about the rescue of the trapped Chilean miners, and adapted Chelsea Cain’s New York Times and international bestselling novel Heartsick for television at F/X.
Mr. Alanne, who was born in Finland, has also directed and produced several important shorts and documentaries, including Voice of Dissent, which caused The Los Angeles Times to call for a reopening of the Robert Kennedy assassination case.
Follow him on Twitter @MikkoAlanne
Michael John Bell (Elsa and Fred, 2013), Craig Borten (Dallas Buyers Club, 2013), and Jose Rivera (Motorcycle Diaries, 2004) also contributed to the writing on this film. The results of this group effort will be very dramatic and touching, I am sure.
Stay tuned for release information, production stills, and more. Are you excited about this film? Tell us in a comment!