The story of Clint Eastwood's new movie happened not too long ago, in January 2009, when an Airbus A320 plane, U.S. Airways Flight 1549, was forced to make an unpowered emergency landing in the Hudson river.
The veteran pilot Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger famously ditched the U.S. Airways Flght 1549 safely, in the river, after the plane hit a flock of geese and lost power on both its jet engines. All the 155 passengers and crew survived the crash, making captain "Sully" a household hero and establishing the incident as the "Miracle on the Hudson".
Captain Sully's heroics have been often described as the most successful ditching in aviation history, for which the entire crew of Flight 1549 was honored with the Master's Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators. The award citation read "This emergency ditching and evacuation, with the loss of no lives, is a heroic and unique aviation achievement".
Clint Eastwood, who celebrated his 85th birthday on May 31 will be directing the movie for his long time home studio Warner Bros. In addition to directing it, Eastwood and Tim Moore will also produce the "Miracle on the Hudson" via their Malpaso Productions, alongside Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart of Flashlight Films.
Sullenberger has already been consulted about the movie and the retired pilot was extremely pleased with the choice of the production company and crew: "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."
Indeed, Eastwood has directed some of the best "hero" movies in the past decades, including the Oscar-winner 'Unforgiven' [1993] and 'Million Dollar Baby' [2005], as well as the most successful war-themed film of all time, 'American Sniper' [2014], which grossed over 500 million dollars worldwide.
Eastwood's new movie is set to start shooting this fall but some delay could be expected since casting hasn't been started yet.
