Jennifer Lopez to join Martin Sheen and Antonio Banderas in Chilean miners film The 33

Jennifer Lopez is to star in a Hollywood film about the real-life rescue of the 33 Chilean miners trapped underground for 69 days in 2010.

The Latino singer and actress will join Martin Sheen, Rodrigo Santoro and Antonio Banderas in the film, entitled The 33.

It is not yet known what role Lopez will take, although it has been suggested she will play a miner’s wife, or possibly one of the unknown mistresses who turned up to watch the rescue.

Banderas has been cast as Mario Sepulveda, the charismatic miner nicknamed “Super Mario” who hi-fived emergency workers after being winched to safety.

Sheen will play the father of a miner, with Brazilian actor Santoro in the role of one of the trapped men.

Mike Medavoy, a Hollywood producer who is behind the project, secured the rights to the picture after the story of the miners’ rescue captured worldwide media attention.

The screenplay has been written by Mikko Alanne and Jose Rivera, whose films include The Motorcycle Diaries and 5 Days of War. Patricia Riggen will direct the film, which begins shooting in Chile this autumn.

The 33 Chilean miners were rescued in October 2010 after being trapped for 69 days in a mine over 2,000 feet below ground. They each escaped alive after a 15 minute journey to the earth’s surface in a specially designed steel capsule.