Miracle Story Of Colombian Children Who Survived Plane Crash & 40 Days In Amazon Rainforest Getting Movie Treatment From Candle Media’s Exile, Journalist Daniel Coronell & Director Gaz Alazraki

Andreas Wiseman
·4 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Candle Media’s Exile Content Studios is partnering with acclaimed Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell and director Gaz Alazraki (Father Of The Bride) to produce a scripted feature about the incredible recent news story of the four children, including a baby, that survived a plane crash and 40 days in the Amazon Rainforest before being rescued by Colombian special forces.

A story this remarkable was unlikely to go unnoticed by the industry for long, but this is a quick turnaround even for Hollywood.

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Earlier this month, world media was captivated by the story of the four children – Lesly, 13; Soleiny, 9; Tien Noriel, 4; and Cristin, 1 – who were found alive in the Amazon after a rescue operation that searched more than 1,600 miles of dense forest.

The children survived the plane crash that killed their mother, the pilot and the only other adult on board, and then got through the dense jungle, alive with jaguars, snakes and mosquitoes, and had to contend with stormy weather and little in the way of food or sustenance.

The plane crashed on May 1 but there was no sign of the children, who come from the Huitoto Indigenous community. A long search through the inhospitable forest began, and included hundreds of volunteers as well as dozens of military personnel.

It later emerged that the children’s mother had survived for four days but told her children soon before her death to leave her in hope of their own survival.

The survival thriller, which will be in English and Spanish-language, will be based on Coronell’s upcoming and previously unannounced book which is set to be published by Random House. He is collaborating on that endeavor with investigative journalists Ignacio Gómez and Carlos Cárdenas. Alazraki will adapt the book for the screen and direct the film.

Alazraki recently directed the remake of Father Of The Bride for Warner Media and HBO Max with Plan B producing. The movie wound up being the biggest HBO Max film premiere to date for a title that was exclusively made for streaming. He is best known for writing and directing the Mexican comedy Nosotros Los Nobles, which became one of Mexico’s highest-grossing films. It is now being adapted at Netflix with Terrance Winter and Chris Columbus. Alazraki also created, directed, and executive produced two of Netflix’s early and high-profile Spanish-language comedy series Club de Cuervos and its spin-off, The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez.

Coronell is one of Colombia’s most-read and influential columnists, known for his investigations. In 2009, he was granted the highest award for a TV investigative report by the Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano, as well as an Oxfam Novib/PEN Award. In the U.S., he was president of Univision News for ten years, and he served as news director for Colombian TV network RCN and newscast Noticias Uno. Since September 2021, he has been president of news magazine Cambio.

Exile recently teamed up with Coronell on podcast Pablo Escobar: Escape From La Catedral.

“I’m thrilled to tell the story of how these children were able to survive thanks to their unique relationship with nature, instilled from birth. As parents, I am sure we will all marvel at the resilience, capability, and intelligence of children,” said Alazraki.

“I’m grateful to Exile for pairing me up with Daniel, whose invaluable contributions will bring this story to life. This project has completely engaged my imagination and I hope it captivates everyone else in the same way.”

“I am excited to embark on this collaborative journey with Gaz and Exile, a team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of storytelling,” added Coronell, journalist and president of Cambio news magazine.

He continued: “Together, we will delve into the depths of this captivating story, shedding light on the hardship these children went through and their determination to survive. We hope to captivate audiences worldwide with their extraordinary story.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Gaz and Daniel, two remarkably accomplished storytellers,” said Nando Vila, Head of Exile’s Studio. “With Coronell’s exceptional journalistic prowess and Gaz’ ability to captivate audiences in his films, we know that together we can deliver a compelling and captivating film that honors this inspiring story.”

Exile’s film and TV projects include HBO Max’s Vgly, a scripted series with Diego Luna as showrunner for Netflix, two shows for Amazon and one for TelevisaUnivision’s Vix in partnership with Breaking Bad producer Mark Johnson. Candle was founded by Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, and is backed by Blackstone’s private equity business.

Alazraki is repped by WME, Grandview and Gang Tyre.

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