Clint Eastwood's Captain Sully

[Pickleweasel]

Clint Eastwood is tackling another real-life hero: Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

The prolific director's next film will be the story of Sullenberger's life and the dramatic tale of how the veteran pilot ditched U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January 2009, saving everyone on board. Eastwood, 85, will make the movie for Warner Bros., his longtime home studio, and is set to start shooting this fall (there's no word yet on who will play the heroic pilot).

"I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, and veteran producers Allyn Stewart and Frank Marshall. The project could not have found a better home than Warner Bros. Pictures. This is truly a dream team," Sullenberger, 64, said in a statement.

In addition to directing, Eastwood and Tim Moore will produce the "Miracle on the Hudson" via their Malpaso Productions, alongside Marshall and Stewart of Flashlight Films. Marshall and Stewart optioned the rights to Sullenberger's life story and memoir, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, in 2010, but it wasn't until now that the project landed at a Hollywood studio. (Harrison Ford, an aviation enthusiast and pilot, first introduced Sullenberger to Marshall.)

All of Hollywood had been waiting to see what Eastwood would direct following his global blockbuster American Sniper, also from Warners. Released in December, Sniper grossed north of $543 million globally to become the most successful war-themed film of all time. The biopic, starring Bradley Cooper as the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, is also Eastwood's most successful directing outing.

Eastwood's involvement is a huge boost for the Sullenberger project. Todd Komarnicki is writing the adapted script, drawing from Sullenberger's life and memoir. Sullenberger co-wrote his memoir with Jeffrey Zaslow, who died in a car crash in 2012. The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, Warner Bros.' president of creative development and worldwide production.

Said Silverman in a statement: "Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure. On the heels of his extraordinary work in American Sniper, it is tremendously exciting to see him explore the life of another captivating true-life hero. It is also great to be collaborating with Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart to produce this compelling script by Todd Komarnicki."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwoods-next-movie-revealed-799151

 

[Pickleweasel]

Tom Hanks in talks to play the captain

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-talks-portray-captain-803608

 

[Octoberist]

Nice!

 

[Octoberist]

Is it only gonna be about this one event? I mean, how interesting is Sulley himself?

 

[Eddie Dean]

I'm the captain now.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Is this guy actually interesting enough to get his own flick?

 

[titansupes]

Is this guy actually interesting enough to get his own flick?

Exactly what I'm wondering...

 

[jmc]

That's what I'm thinking too. I don't know if you could do an entire film based on this one thing that happen fairly quickly.

 

[Pickleweasel]

Well they obviously can because they are....

 

[Matt Mortem]

It's going to be disgustingly melodramatic. I applaud Sully for doing what he did, but the dude was just doing is job really, really well. I mean, he did go to Capital Hill at one point to testify in front of Congress regarding Pilot wages (I think I'm remembering that right). Maybe they can get a film out of that part?

 

[Octoberist]

see with Flight made sense even though it was fictional. It shows the aftermath of the heroic deed and that was actually the bulk of the story b/c it was a character study of a very flawed character (Denzel's).

 

[Fallen Angel]

Aaron Eckhart Joins Tom Hanks in Captain Sully Movie http://thr.cm/nGkvz1

Eckhart will play Jeff Skiles, who was the first officer and co-pilot on the Airbus A320. He was manually flying the plane when the birds crashed into the engines. He helped Sully safely land the US Airways plane.

 

[Duke]

Is this guy actually interesting enough to get his own flick?

Is it only gonna be about this one event? I mean, how interesting is Sulley himself?

It's going to be disgustingly melodramatic. I applaud Sully for doing what he did, but the dude was just doing is job really, really well. I mean, he did go to Capital Hill at one point to testify in front of Congress regarding Pilot wages (I think I'm remembering that right). Maybe they can get a film out of that part?

I agree with this sentiment, granted the guy did something "heroic" & averted disaster saving numerous people in the process, however I don´t think a film is necessary.

 

[Farren]

The plane was in the air for less than 10 minutes: how are they going to make this work on the silver screen? I'm all for art from adversity -- and there could be a really great nontraditional film in here -- but I'm really struggling to see it happening.

 

[Schlosser85]

From Eastwood directing and Hanks starring, I feel like I can already imagine how ponderously earnest and dourly "inspiring" this is gonna be.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Laura Linney Joins Tom Hanks in Captain Sully Movie http://thr.cm/H21YW7

Linney will play Sully's wife.

 

[Matt Mortem]

And I'm out. Feels like Oscar chasing to me.

 

[Sawyer]

I rolled my eyes when they talked about doing a movie after he hit the news and I'm rolling my eyes now.

 

[Drizzle]

I rolled my eyes when they talked about doing a movie after he hit the news and I'm rolling my eyes now.

Would you roll your eyes if I told you Mads Mikkelsen is playing one of the geese?

 

[Sawyer]

Since he would presumably get killed ten minutes into the movie, yes I would.

 

[Rocketman]

 

[Gold Samurai]

Would you roll your eyes if I told you Mads Mikkelsen is playing one of the geese?

Not to be outdone Daniel Day Lewis will be the head geese. It will be his most emotionally charged role ever.

He'll spend a year with lightweight constructed wings on his back

He'll fight for dominance as the head geese to prepare for the role

 

[C. Lee]

Personally.....I don't get it. what the Captain did was good and all....but feature film worthy....nah. 20 years ago this would rate a TV movie of the week. They did a bunch of airplane crash movies back then....and they had lots of death and destruction and mayhem. This had some fancy flying and a couple of shredded birds....it could have been a one hour Dateline special.

 

[Doctor Jones]

It's difficult to think how far they can go with this. I mean he's considered a hero but what the hell does that even mean? Has anyone asked what he thinks of being called a hero? If anything, the guy would just downplay the whole thing. Not to be propped up to be something more. Unless the film goes into what being a hero means then it's something interesting. But Flight kind of did that too.

 

[Sawyer]