J.A. Bayona may only have four feature films under his belt as a director, but he’s proven himself more than capable at helming atmospheric dramas, large-scale disaster thrillers, effects-driven fantasies and billion-dollar blockbusters, so he’s doing pretty well for himself.
On top of that, he’s also helming two episodes of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series, so he’s nothing if not a versatile talent. When your last movie is $1.3 billion smash hit Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, there’s going to be a lot of interest in your next project, and Bayona has now settled on his next move.
As per Deadline, the filmmaker is heading to Netflix to tackle Society in the Snow, a Spanish-language effort based on a book by Pablo Vierci. The period piece unfolds in 1972 and tells the true story of what happened when a plane full of Chilean rugby players crashed into a glacier in the Andes.
You may have heard the story before, in particular the drastic measures the group resorted to in order to stay alive, mostly because it’s been retold under various guises roughly half a dozen times across film and television. However, Bayona’s involvement is enough to ensure that the latest harrowing examination of what people will do to survive will be worth checking out whenever it comes to streaming.
