A match made in box office heaven? Could be. Warner Brothers has announced that Clint Eastwood will direct an upcoming feature film based on the life and times of airline pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, an authentic hero who ditched his disabled passenger jet in the Hudson River under unbelievable circumstances and saved the lives of all aboard. The screenplay will be based no Mr. Sullenberger’s memoir “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters.”
Three creative teams are involved, and all have much praise for Mr. Eastwood.
“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,” says Greg Silverman, president of creative development for Warner Bros. Pictures.
“The film will go beyond Sullenberger’s almost impossible and much-heralded achievement of safely landing a jumbo jet on the water, which was captured on video and viewed around the world. But behind the scenes, a drama was unfolding that could have cost him his reputation and his wings,” the film company says in production notes.
“I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood,” Mr. Sullenburger observed.
Mr. Eastwood, 85, directed the Oscar winning film “American Sniper” which chronicled the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in the nation’s history. The movie met with much criticism in some sectors, but ultimately emerged as the highest grossing film in the U.S. last year, ultimately earning $546 million at the worldwide box office.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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