Beaconsfield mine survivor fields TV deal

BEACONSFIELD Gold Mine disaster survivor Todd Russell has denied interstate media reports that he had signed a deal to do a telemovie about the ordeal, but confirmed it was being negotiated. Mr Russell said the idea of a movie was presented by production company Southern Star Endemol but that nothing had been decided. Southern Star Endemol has produced hit Australian dramas Blue Heelers, Big Brother and Forensic Investigators and reports suggest a keen interest in the Beaconsfield Gold Mine disaster story. Survivors of the Anzac Day 2006 mine collapse Mr Russell and Brant Webb received steady media attention, reportedly receiving $2.6million for their story from Channel 9. The pair were trapped for 14 days underground when the Beaconsfield Gold Mine collapsed, killing fellow miner Larry Knight. A mainland News Ltd report claimed planning for the movie had gone as far as casting, naming Eric Bana and Shane Jacobson as actors interested in the lead roles. The movie is also said to focus on the main media personalities that were central to the coverage of the story, including Nine Network personalities Eddie Maguire and Tracy Grimshaw, and Federal Labor MHR Bill Shorten, who was federal secretary of the Australian Workers Union at the time of the mine disaster. Media attention surrounding the disaster has eased in the past three years, the pair now living quiet lives in Tasmania.