FILM · 2015 · CL
The 33
27 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (27)
- #001
The film shows the rescue capsule descending into the mine empty. The miners entered the capsule one by one, and the last miner to come up was Luis Urzúa ("Don Lucho"), who was left alone in the mine at the end. This is not entirely accurate. It was reported that six rescuers descended into the mine inside the capsule to assist with the rescue efforts. When the capsule first went down into the mine, one of the rescuers, Manuel González, was inside, taking a great risk as the person testing whether the capsule worked. Mr. González was also the last person to reach the surface. While it is true that Urzúa was the last miner rescued, Mr. González helped him into the capsule and waited for the empty capsule to come back down. So in fact he was the only person who spent time alone in the mine and entered the capsule by himself.
- #002
Because they were unemployed, the rescued miners took part in the making of the film in Copiapó, Chile, which tells the history of the mines.
- #003
The idea for this film was already a source of concern for the miners, who found themselves trapped underground and realized they were famous on the outside. To ensure that the profits from the copyright of their story were shared equally, they agreed to release an official version of their ordeal. After being rescued, they hired a law firm in Santiago to represent them abroad. This led a talent agency in New York City to choose the Spanish-American journalist and novelist Hector Tobar, who researched the events thoroughly and conducted extensive interviews with each of the miners, their families and some of the officials involved. The resulting book, Deep Down Dark, is the film's inspiration.
- #004
The film depicts the miners receiving iPods in a care package after confirming they were alive, and later a brief fight between two miners, one of whom is accused of stealing the other's iPod. Steve Jobs had in fact sent 33 iPod Touch devices for the men as a gesture of support, but the devices were withheld by the rescue team until the men were rescued, to prevent the possibility of them causing isolation or conflict within the group similar to the fight depicted.
- #005
In the film, Álex Vega is shown as the first miner to reach the surface, to meet his wife and newborn daughter. In reality, Alex was the tenth miner to reach the surface.
- #006
It is the last film with a score composed by James Horner, who died less than two months before the film's premiere (based on the premiere date). His last film composition was for Southpaw (2015).
- #007
Although the President of Chile is mostly depicted watching the unfolding events from the Presidential Palace, located 800 km (500 miles) from the mine, he shows the media a note confirming that all the miners are safe just minutes after the rescuers find it attached to a drill. This may seem "convenient" for a film's dramatic purposes, but it was in fact true. The President had already been warned that the drill might enter the refuge and that he might fly from Santiago to Copiapó when the note was found.
- #008
The film's director, Patricia Riggen, required the actors to speak Spanish with a Chilean accent as well as English. This was very difficult for the actors.
- #009
Juliette Binoche replaced Jennifer Lopez.
- #010
In an interview, Bob Gunton stated that the hardest part of interpreting Chilean President Sebastián Piñera was his "nervous tics."
- #011
For dramatic purposes, the film transfers the stories of several trapped miners to the main characters, such as Mario Sepúlveda's (Antonio Banderas) football-playing daughter and the pregnancy of Jessica Salgado (Cote de Pablo).
- #012
On 7 February 2014, thieves entered the set and stole four iPods and a pair of Sony Handycams. The cameras were not used in the shooting and no footage was lost.
- #013
Paulina García plays the deputy to President Sebastián Piñera and Minister Laurence Golborne's rival, undermining him and rejecting requests for the rescue. This character was created for dramatic purposes, but she concentrates the initial views on the rescue held by many politicians and advisers.
- #014
In an interview, Spanish actor Mario Casas stated that he burst into tears when he watched the documentary about the trapped Chilean miners.
- #015
It was announced that this was the first film to receive an incentive from the Colombia Film Commission, covering 40 percent of the amount spent in the country for film services and 20 percent for film logistics services.
- #016
A statement at the beginning of the film claims that 12,000 miners die in mining accidents each year. That amounts to 33 miners a day.
- #017
The US trailer uses Say Something as its main song. In Chile, the trailer uses Gracias a la Vida.
- #018
CNN covered the rescue operation. It would later pay tribute to the Chilean miners from New York on CNN Heroes (2007).
- #019
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera received the cast at the government palace in Santiago, Chile.
- #020
The film highlights the large age gap between Bob Gunton's President Sebastián Piñera, in his early 70s, and Rodrigo Santoro's Laurence Golborne, who appears to be around 40. During the real rescue, Piñera was 60 and Golborne was 49.
- #021
Cote de Pablo, who plays Jessica, was born in Santiago, Chile.
- #022
The film was mentioned in the series Entourage (2004), in which the actor Vinnie Chase wanted to roughly adapt the book.
- #023
Franklin Lobos, one of the real-life 33 miners, does not appear in the final scene.
- #024
Spanish actor Mario Casas did not attend the Goya Awards gala due to preparations for the film.
- #025
Antonio Banderas shot two films in Chile. 'The 33' was the first, and Gun Shy (2017) has been the second so far (as of September 2020). But he also starred in two more films set in Chile but shot elsewhere, both adapted from Isabel Allende's novels: her first bestselling novel, The House of the Spirits (1993) (La casa de los espíritus), released in 1993, and Of Love and Shadows (1994) (De amor y de sombra), released in 1994. These last two films depict, in one way or another, Chile's dictatorship. The president Salvador Allende, Isabel Allende's uncle, was overthrown.
- #026
Jennifer Lopez had joined to lead the film's cast but later left due to a scheduling conflict with American Idol (2002).
- #027
Mario Casas wears the jersey of Universidad de Chile's star football team. This star represents the Sudamericana Championship the team won a year after the real events.
Continue through the archive
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work