With ‘American Sniper’ having pulled in over $543 million at the global box office, award-winning helmer Clint Eastwood has joined another biopic to direct for Warner Bros. Pictures.
The 85-year-old Academy Award-winner will be focusing on the story of Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberg, an American hero who successfully landed the US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009. Eventually, such incident became more known as the Miracle on the Hudson. While the film does not have any title at the moment, it is certain that the project will be drawn out from Sullenberg’s 2009 autobiography titled ‘Highest Duty.’ Written together with Jeffrey Zaslow, the book relays the story of Captain Sully’s emergency landing on the Hudson River that saved the lives of all 155 individuals who were aboard the plane.
Such book has also been described on the official site of Sullenberger as “a story of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through childhood, in his military service, and in his work as a commercial airline pilot.”
The autobiography’s description further touched on the aspects of conflict, tragedy and economic instability, which can be alleviated if society pays more attention to the “values still worth fighting for.”
Sullenberger also issued a statement in which he expressed his gratitude for the studio to come up with such feature film. “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,” Sullenberger said. “The project could not have found a better home than Warner Bros. Pictures. This is truly a dream team.”
Even Greg Silverman, Warner Bros. Pictures’ president of creative development and worldwide production, opened up about Eastwood working on the upcoming biopic project. “Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure,” Silverman added. “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.”
He also expressed his excitement for working with producers Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart and writer Todd Komarnicki. Eastwood will also produce the film through his Malpaso Productions alongside Marshall and Stewart.
From Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow, Eastwood’s take on ‘American Sniper’ revolved around the real-life story of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL from Texas and the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. Additionally, the bio war drama film was recognized as having the biggest opening among Eastwood’s movies in which he took on directorial duties.
